


Right Here, With You

by pitch_playbook



Category: Pitch Perfect (2012)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-09
Updated: 2013-04-07
Packaged: 2017-12-04 19:33:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 31,717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/714267
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pitch_playbook/pseuds/pitch_playbook
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Beca comes home after being in LA for six years. She hasn't kept in touch with any of the Bellas, but runs into their former leader Aubrey in the park.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I debated a great deal about what would happen when Aubrey finally talked to Daniel, and finally decided on what is written in this chapter. After this there will be probably be 2 or 3 more chapters, and likely an epilogue, at least that's what I have planned at the moment. As always your feedback is really and truly greatly appreciated whether you post a review or comment, or message me on Tumblr (shesamarshmallow), I always like to know what people are thinking, and how the story is being received. Enjoy the chapter. :)

"Beca?"

The brunette looked up from her phone at the sound of the familiar voice calling her name.

"Aubrey, hey," Beca responded, finding herself caught in an embrace by the blonde.

"Long time no see, what brings you back to Atlanta?"

It had been 6 years since the DJ left for the bright lights of LA, and she hadn't done a particularly good job of keeping in touch with Aubrey, or any of her friends from Barden. She threw herself into her music and trying to make it and never looked back.

"I'm uh, here to see my parents," Beca offered, although the truth was a bit more complicated.

"Oh, that's nice."

"Yeah, I mean, I figure the holidays are coming up and I haven't seen them in a while."

"Yeah," Aubrey started, deciding whether or not she wanted to ask her next question. "Have you, uh, seen anyone else?"

"If you're talking about Jesse and Chloe, then no I haven't. I actually just got in yesterday, haven't really been out and about. I'm assuming they're both still around then."

When Beca left for LA she left Barden, her family, and not one but two people she didn't know how to deal with her feelings for. She started seeing Jesse after the Bellas' big ICCA win, all the while wrestling with her feelings for a certain perky redhead. When her father agreed to pay her way to LA, she left with nothing more than a quick, I'm sorry, goodbye to both parties. LA was her fresh start, and dragging herself through a long distance relationship she wasn't even sure she wanted to work just wasn't going to happen.

"Yeah, pretty much everyone stuck around Beca, you're the only one who was dead set on getting out of here."

"I guess, I just never wanted to go to school in the first place so it seemed like the right thing to do at the time," Beca shrugged.

"Mama!" a small child squealed, and ran into Aubrey's arms. The small girl was blonde, with pale blue eyes. Aubrey picked her up, and brushed the hair out of her eyes before turning back to Beca.

Beca felt bad now about not asking Aubrey how she was. Beca should have known the determined blonde would be happily married with children. She always struck Beca as the classic white picket fence type.

"This is Charlotte," Aubrey introduced her, "Charlie, this is my friend Beca."

"Hi Charlie," Beca smiled at the little girl.

"Hi," she squeaked shyly, burying her face in Aubrey's arm.

"Well, I think it's time to take someone home for a nap, but we should catch up while you're here."

"Yeah, that would be nice," Beca scrawled her new number on a piece of paper and handed it to Aubrey. "Text me when you're free."

* * *

Beca left half way through her second year at Barden, and in the time between their win and her move she had been what she would consider friends with Aubrey. She felt bad at the time, leaving not only Jesse and Chloe but all the girls who had made her short time at Barden as great as it turned out to be. At first she would respond to e-mails and texts, but time, work and distance eventually got too much and the e-mails and texts sent to check up on her became few and far between. In fact, Aubrey had probably been one of the last people to stop trying, sending her a 'hey, how are you?' text just a few months ago.

A few days after running into Aubrey in the park Beca's phone buzzed, all it read was coffee this afternoon with a question mark.

Aubrey arrived at the coffee shop just after Beca took a seat at a corner table. She was alone today, Beca assumed her kid was with whoever it was Aubrey had actually deemed good enough to marry.

"Over here," Beca waved the blonde over.

"How's your vacation treating you?" Aubrey asked, taking a seat across from the brunette.

Beca coughed, "umm, its fine. Staying with my dad and Shelia isn't exactly the greatest but whatever."

"Oh well, at least it's only for a…" Aubrey stopped, realizing Beca never actually told her how long she was in town for.

"Anyway," Beca changed the subject, "how are you? I felt like such a dick after the park, you've got a kid and I didn't even ask you about your life now."

"Oh don't worry about it, there's not much to tell. I'm teaching now, at an elementary school and Charlie just turned 4."

"Well, who's the lucky guy?" Beca pressed.

"What?"

"Your husband?"

"No, no husband, no dating life at all to speak of actually," the blonde informed her friend sadly.

"Oh, umm, sorry, I just kind of assumed with the kid and all, sorry" Beca hadn't noticed it before, but Aubrey's ring finger was in fact bare. It was just like her to miss important details, details that would help one avoid awkward situations such as this.

"It's okay; I always thought I'd be married when I had a kid too."

Beca didn't want to pry, and she thought what happened might sound a little rude, so she sat silently waiting for her friend to continue.

"Long story short, condoms are not always effective," she started, "and douchebags you had a one night stand with in a bar bathroom aren't exactly reliable. Although he did offer to pay for an abortion, classy right," Aubrey scoffed.

"Ouch, so it's just you and Charlie then?"

"Yeah, just the two of us since my parents cut me off when I had the gall to tell them their only daughter was pregnant out of wedlock, god forbid."

"So, do you enjoy it then?"

"What, motherhood?"

"Yeah."

"I love it, I love her, I always wanted a daughter, and while it didn't happen at all in the way I planned, I'm very grateful to have her in my life. She's amazing," the sad, distant look on Aubrey's face was instantly brightened when she talked about her daughter.

"That's awesome, but it still must be hard, doing everything alone."

"Well, I'm not completely alone; I mean I still have Chloe and her…" Aubrey stopped, remembering that Beca probably had no idea of anything that went on in the last six years here in Atlanta.

"Her what, come on, you can tell me. I'm fine, I want to know."

"Her husband; they married just over a year ago and now she's pregnant with their first child."

"That great," Beca's words were genuine, "what about Jesse?"

"Also married, we obviously don't hang out but last I did see a birth announcement in the paper about 18 months ago; a boy I think."

"Well I'm glad they're both happy."

"Are you?"

"Yeah, I mean I think I loved or at least really cared about both of them at some point but I left because it felt right at the time. I wasn't ready to give either of them what they wanted and it's not like I expected them to wait around for me. I'm over them, I swear."

"Well good. Jason's a good guy too, I think you'd approve."

"Good to know. I'd hate to think of Chloe married to one of those dicks she's used to fool around with at Barden."

Aubrey laughed and flashed Beca a knowing smile, "no, she met him at the grocery store of all places."

The old friends spent the rest of the afternoon laughing and catching up. Beca learned that Aubrey and her daughter live in a two bedroom apartment near the park, and that Charlotte's favourite thing to do is feed the ducks. She teaches the fourth grade, and hasn't been on a date since she got pregnant. She sees Chloe at least once a week, and Chloe always babysits for her when she has a PTA meeting to attend. Aubrey didn't have many details to share about their former Bellas, having been too pre-occupied herself the past few years to really keep in touch. As the afternoon drew to a close, Aubrey finally plucked up enough courage to ask Beca what she'd been wanting to all afternoon.

"What are you actually doing back here?" she asked, changing the subject suddenly from talk of her class' first field trip of the year.

"I already told you why I'm here."

"Don't give me that bullshit, the holidays are weeks away and I know damn well you don't want to spend that much time with your father."

"Fine, you caught me, I'm not here for the holidays, but who the fuck cares."

"I do, tell me what's going on."

"Things just didn't work out in LA, I've struggled trying to make it there for years and it just didn't happen okay. I got sick and tired of being broke and lonely so I moved back here, although I'm not sure there's anything for me here these days anyway," Beca sighed.

"Well you've got a friend here, so I guess it's already less lonely than LA," the blonde smiled.

"Thanks Aubrey," Beca was genuinely glad to know that at least here, she had a friend.

"I need to go pick up Charlie, but I'll call you again soon. You can come over to the apartment and at least get away from your dad's house for a bit."

"Sounds good, I'll see you soon then."

Beca walked out of the coffee shop happier than she'd be in months, years maybe. Life in LA had taken a toll on her. Maybe Atlanta was the best place for her, it was the last place she'd been genuinely happy and maybe, just maybe she could be again.

* * *

When the weekend ended Beca hit the pavement with resumes. She was now almost 25, jobless and with few prospects since she didn't do as her father said, and get a good education before flitting off to LA to pursue a hobby. She hated that her father was right in this case, but as he said when she showed up back on his doorstep, mistakes make us human and all we can do is learn from them. Her plan now was to secure some form of employment to make money, and to take a second crack at the whole education thing. Her father was still gainfully employed by Barden, and therefore Beca was still eligible for a free education. A smile crossed Beca's face when she noticed a record store near Barden had a now hiring sign in the window. Maybe that CD stacking experience would actually come in handy. She walked out an hour later and promised to show up at nine am sharp the next day. She had impressed the manager with her musical knowledge, and the fact that she could string a proper sentence together. It worked to Beca's advantage in this case that she wasn't a seventeen year old popping gum and declaring her love of Justin Beiber.

Back outside she checked her phone and noticed two missed calls and a text from Aubrey. Dinner at my place, I'm making pasta and Grey's is on tonight. Beca didn't know if that last part was supposed to entice her since she'd never seen an episode of the medical drama. A home cooked meal that didn't involve conversation with her step mother sounded excellent though. Beca quickly typed up be right there, and hit send. Less than ten minutes later she was at the door of the blonde's apartment.

"Hello B," came a small voice as Aubrey opened the door for the brunette.

Aubrey laughed, "I guess she forgot your name."

"Hey she got the first letter right, that's better than some of my dates after a few drinks."

Beca walked over the threshold, taking a moment to examine her surroundings. The apartment was small, but decorated nicely. There were books and toys all over the floor of the small living room, but the rest of the place was not surprisingly clutter free. Beca found her eyes drawn to the mantle; it was covered in photo frames, the same small blonde child smiling at her from each one. She picked up a small silver frame on one of the ends, it was a picture of Aubrey holding baby Charlie who could be no more than a few days old in the photo.

"Nice apartment," she said finally, making her way over to the small table in the kitchen.

"It's small, but it works for us," the blonde smiled.

"Whatever you're cooking smells delicious," Beca spoke up again after a few minutes.

"It's just some sauce from a jar and penne, but if I recall correctly you were never able to master the whole cooking thing. How did you even survive the past six years?"

"Mostly on fast food," Beca revealed truthfully. She really never mastered the whole cooking thing, and with all the hours she was putting in trying to make something of herself she never really had time to cook anyway.

"Well, dig in," Aubrey plopped down a bowl of pasta in front of the brunette, and a few pieces of garlic bread.

"Here you are sweetheart," she handed the small child a fork to eat her small bowl of plain noodles, "she's a picky eater," Aubrey admitted.

"I was too at that age," Beca laughed, remembering her own affinity for plain pasta and how much it drove her mother nuts.

"So, what are you going to do now that you're back?"

"Work at the record store by Barden, and start taking classes again. Not sure what I want to major in yet, maybe business or something."

"That's great Beca, let me know if you need any help."

After dinner Beca helped the blonde clear the dishes. It was nearing seven thirty when they finally finished chatting, and it must have been nearing Charlie's bedtime as the small child was yawning in the chair.

"I think it's time for someone to go to bed," Aubrey picked up her daughter and placed a kiss on her head. "I'll be right back," she assured the brunette.

"Night Charlie," Beca called to the small blonde as Aubrey carried her to her bedroom.

"Goodnight B."

Beca made herself comfortable on the couch as she waited for her friend to put her daughter to bed.

"She was out like a light as soon as her head the pillow."

"Does she usually go down that easily?" Beca found herself genuinely curious about the little girl.

"Not usually, but she had a long day, she was playing soccer and then had a play date with a little girl on the 3rd floor."

The women sat and talked, and Beca even found that she enjoyed the episode of Grey's. When it got a little chilly Aubrey instinctively threw a blanket over both of their legs. It was well after midnight when Beca finally got up to leave, it was so nice to actually have someone friendly to talk to that Beca let time get away from her. She had to be up early for work, and needed to get home.

"I had a nice time," Beca smile, "again next week for Grey's?" she asked, almost not believing the words had come out of her mouth.

"Sounds good, I'll get wine and text me if you have a request for dinner."

* * *

The next few weeks were spent working at the record store during the day, and either spending the night creating mixes in her room or with Aubrey and Charlie. She hadn't made mixes just for fun in a while, but lately she was feeling the inspiration. Their weekly Grey's date, had turned into multiple nights of eating dinner, playing games with Charlie and watching Aubrey's favourite shows. Beca planned to start classes in the New Year, and so her nights were free. In her free time she found the only thing she wanted to do was see Aubrey and her admittedly adorable little girl.

Beca had never been particularly fond of kids and the thought of having her own had never crossed her mind, but Charlie was special. She was smart, sweet and not at all loud or annoying the way Beca always pictured kids. Aubrey also made great company. Beca had gotten the chance to know her a bit before leaving for LA, but this was different, she had gotten know Aubrey on a much deeper level. Aubrey shared her joy, her fears, her everything with Beca and Beca found herself doing the same, something she'd never done with anyone else, not even Chloe or Jesse. She was so used to pushing people away that she hadn't even noticed herself actually letting someone in.

It was five thirty and Beca had just gotten off work when she her phone began to ring. On the other end Beca could just make out what she was pretty sure was Aubrey crying, clearly in a panic.

"Hey, hey, Aubrey calm down, what's wrong?"

"Its…its, sniff, its Charlie, she's in the hospital. The school called…sniff, I'm…I'm on my way there now."

"I'll be right there," Beca hung up the phone and raced to the parking lot behind the store.

Aubrey's car was already in the parking lot when Beca arrived and she parked her beat up Honda next to it. The woman was visibly distressed when Beca found her standing by the nurses' station.

"Where the hell is my daughter, she's four and I get a call from her school that she's been brought here, just tell me where she is," this was the Aubrey that Beca could remember from early Bellas' practices, irate and determined.

Beca put her hands on the taller woman's shoulders, "hey, Aubrey, calm down, it's going to be okay."

"Thanks for coming Beca, I just, I needed someone."

"Anytime," the brunette smiled.

When the nurse finally found out where Charlie was she had an intern walk the two women to the little girl's room. A doctor was already there, and he smiled at them as they entered.

"I'll assume you're her mother," he addressed Aubrey, it was obvious that they were mother and daughter as Charlie looked just like her, the same bright hair, pale eyes and smile.

"Yes," Aubrey managed, more concerned with wrapping her arms around the small child in sitting in the big hospital bed.

"She must have fallen off some playground equipment at the school," he started, "she's got a broken leg, a wrist fracture, but luckily no serious injuries or head trauma."

"Thank god," Beca let out a sigh of relief. Aubrey was still clinging tightly to her daughter.

"You can take her home in a few hours; we've run all the necessary tests. As you can see she's got a cast on her leg and her arm. Luckily she's a child, so she'll bounce back fast but she'll need those on for a few weeks. You just have to sign all the discharge papers."

Aubrey kissed her daughter on the head, she hated to see the pained look on her face and decided she'd call the school and ask questions rather than trouble her.

"B, you came to see me?" the little girl questioned.

"Of course I did, I wanted to make sure you were okay."

Aubrey got up from her spot at her daughter's side and walked over to the brunette. She hesitated for a moment before pressing a kiss to the shorter woman's lips.

"What was that for?" Beca asked shocked.

"For being here, for caring, for…" Beca caught the blonde off, returning the kiss she was too shocked to moments earlier.

"And what was that for?"

"Because of course I'd be here, because I care and because I love you."

"You do?"

"I do, I love you Aubrey Posen."

"Well good, because I love you Beca Mitchell."

A few hours later Beca and Aubrey left the hospital, Beca helped Aubrey load Charlie into the blonde's car.

"I'll meet you at the apartment?" Beca said, almost like a question.

"You better," the blonde smirked.

A few days later Beca moved her stuff from her father's house to Aubrey and Charlie's apartment. She hadn't accumulated much in LA, but what few possessions she did have fit right in, like they were meant to be there the whole time. Beca had spent years in LA searching for something she never found and in the few months she had been back in Atlanta, she found something she never even knew she wanted. Beca wasn't lonely anymore, she now had all the love she needed and more. She didn't know how or why but Aubrey and Charlie had become her life, and she wouldn't have it any other way.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I received the following suggestion after posting this story, "If you felt so moved as to write a sequel, I'd love to know about the few days following their first kiss and leading up to moving in together..." So that's when this story takes place, after they leave the hospital, and before Beca moves in with Aubrey and Charlotte. Thanks to reader bekahbabe for the suggestion.

"I should go," Beca whispered, untangling herself from the blanket and Aubrey.

It's been a few hours since they got back from the hospital, and it's late, Beca really should go. She's got work in the morning and as much as she'd like to stay, that's Aubrey's call. She kissed her, and she said she loved her but emotions were running high, and Beca knows how that can be. We say things and we do things we don't mean, because our brain is so clouded with emotion that it feels right. Of course Beca did mean everything she said and did back there at the hospital, she doesn't know when exactly it happened but she did fall for Aubrey. Still though, its Aubrey's call, it's her house, her kid, her life and the last thing Beca wants to do is make things more complicated for her.

"Yeah, its late, and you have work right? Umm see you tomorrow," Aubrey gives Beca a peck on the cheek as she gets up from the couch.

"Yeah, work," Beca gathered her things and made her way out of the apartment and back down to her car. She could just as easily go to work tomorrow straight from Aubrey's, but hey, what's another night of her step mother Shelia getting pissy because she came in so late.

* * *

Beca's phone buzzed half way through her lunch break the next day. Hey, how's lunch? I'm taking Charlie to see some silly animated movie tonight, be there at 7? Beca hesitated before sending, I'll be there. A dark room with a bunch of children where they couldn't talk wasn't exactly where Beca wanted to be tonight, but at least the company would be good.

"Beca!" the little girl shouted when she arrived at the theater. The poor thing was in Aubrey's arms, casts on her tiny limbs.

"Hey squirt, you finally got my whole name," she smiled at the small child.

"I remembered," Charlotte confirmed.

Beca just laughed, it had taken a few months, but I guess she had now heard Aubrey say it enough that she figured out there were more letters after the B.

"I'm guessing we're seeing that princess movie," Beca said, feigning disdain.

"Good guess," Aubrey smirked, handing Beca her ticket.

The commercials had only just started when they took their seats in the theater. Aubrey always liked to be early, it was the best way to secure seats in the back and she liked seeing the previews.

"So, did you talk to the school about what happened?" Beca asked as they waited for a feature presentation.

"Yeah, it was just an accident; she fell the wrong way off the playground equipment. The principal isn't sure why she was left alone at the hospital though, he said he told the teacher to stay until we got there, miscommunication I guess."

"I'm surprised you're so calm about this."

"Accidents happen, I'm just happy she's okay, it could have been a lot worse; the bones will heal."

Aubrey was right, as the doctor had told them last night; her injuries could have been a lot more severe. As it stands this was just an unfortunate childhood accident, and not a tragedy.

The movie wasn't nearly as bad as Beca had expected. It was cute, and it actually had some fairly decent humor that would fly over the heads of most of its audience.

"I want to be a princess like in the movie!" Charlotte asserted on the way to the car.

"Trust me babe, you're much cooler than a princess. Would a princess be as brave and strong as you were when you fell yesterday?" Beca asked the child, whose arms were wrapped tightly around her neck.

"Yes!"

"Okay then, you're already a princess. Now buckle up," Beca placed a kiss atop the little girl's head and shut the car door. "Goodnight Aubrey," she said turning to the blonde.

Beca turned to walk back to her own car, but felt a hand on her arm. "What, no good night kiss?"

"Oh," Beca turned and was immediately rewarded with a soft kiss on the lips.

"Goodnight Beca," and with that Aubrey was back in the driver's seat of her Prius.

* * *

Saturday morning, Beca's favourite, no work, no getting up early and her father and Shelia always left early to go out to some country club. What they'd be doing at a country club in winter Beca didn't know or care. Classes were starting soon, so once she finally dragged herself out of bed she was determined to actually register. Her credits for her original stint at Barden were still valid; although Beca wasn't sure how much that Philosophy class she never attended was going to help her. This time she was going to pursue a business degree, and take hopefully more practical classes that she would be compelled to actually go to.

I really need to change that ringtone, Beca thought as her phone begin to go off. It was noon, she couldn't be too mad about whoever it was waking her up.

"Hello?"

"Hey Beca, sorry if I woke you," Aubrey's voice came through the speaker.

"It's fine, what do you want?"

"Geez, someone's cranky. She can't go to dance lessons or the park today, so I promised we'd stay in and play games all day. I've already lost four times at Candyland," she laughed.

"And?"

"And, I figured I'd call and see if you cared to join? You're much better at Candyland than me."

"I'm busy," Beca lied, "maybe some other time."

"Oh, okay," the hurt in her voice was palpable.

"Yeah sorry, I'll text you," Beca hung up.

Beca felt bad about lying and truthfully she would enjoy her day a lot more if she went over there, but she was tired of going over just to leave. She was older now, but still pretty terrible at talking about her feelings. She didn't know how to tell Aubrey why she was upset, but now she was sure the blonde knew.

"What the hell," Aubrey cursed out loud, forgetting about her present company.

"Are you okay mama?"

"Sorry baby, yeah, I'm fine. Are you up for going out? We can get doughnuts?" Aubrey promised.

"Doughnuts," she cheered, it worked to Aubrey's advantage that such simple things pleased her daughter.

I need to talk to you, coffee? Aubrey typed out and hit send before putting on her coat.

"Hey, what happened to the pipsqueak?" the red head questioned as she walked into the café.

"Accident at school," Aubrey started, "but I need to talk to you about something else."

"Okay shoot," Chloe smiled.

"You know how I told you Beca and I were hanging out?"

Aubrey spent the next few minutes filling Chloe in on everything that had gone down in the past few weeks. "Now I think she's upset with me, and I don't know why?" she finished.

Chloe laughed, "You're not really that dense Bree."

"What?"

"You never asked her to stay. You told her you love her, but you send her home lonely every night."

"I just didn't know if it was right, I mean its not just me I've got Charlotte and its our home, and family and…"

The red head cut her off, "Let me get this straight. She shows up every night after work. You cook dinner for her, and sometimes she helps, sometimes she plays with your kid. You eat dinner together, and then the two of you play with Charlotte and watch movies. At some point you get Charlotte ready for bed and she gives you both a hug and kiss goodnight. You then proceed to sit in the living room and cuddle on the couch, watching tv, talking, whatever. Then she leaves, and you both fall asleep alone. News flash Aubrey, if you want to wake up next to her and you wait for her to come home after work she's your family too and your home is her home."

"I'm an idiot," was all she could say when her friend finished.

"Yeah, you are. She said she loved you too remember, you really need to learn to take a hint."

"I need to fix this."

Chloe just nodded.

* * *

Before she could rush out of the café, Aubrey's phone lit up with a text message. Do you still need a third for Candyland? Beca couldn't stay mad at Aubrey, and she really did want to hang out with them. She figured she was being unfair, if she never told Aubrey how she was feeling how was she supposed to know. Aubrey was the one person actually found herself able to share her feelings with, and if there was anything she need to talk to her about, it was this.

Yeah, we took a quick trip out but we'll be home in 10, send.

When Aubrey and Charlotte arrived home, Beca was already sitting by the door waiting.

"Sorry about earlier, I just had some stuff to do," there was no point spilling her guts now, they could talk when Charlie went to bed.

"Its okay, do you want something to drink before we play?" Aubrey smiled.

"I'm good, I'm so going to win though," she smirked.

"I don't think so Beca, I'm pretty good, and I won four times today," Charlotte informed her.

"Is that so?" Beca took the girl from the other woman's arms so she could open the door.

The rest of the afternoon was spent mostly losing various children's board games to the small blonde. Beca wished she could say she was letting her win, but unfortunately for her most times she was just getting beaten. As five o'clock rolled out Beca and Charlotte settled in on the couch to watch TV, while Aubrey started dinner.

"Are you sure you don't need any help?" Beca called, feeling bad that she had not once actually cooked for Aubrey at any time during the past few weeks.

"I think I can manage to boil some water," she teased from the other room.

The trio ate as Charlie gloated about her wins. There was something about a four year old girl claiming to be the master of Candyland that amused Beca. She was certainly competitive, so that apple didn't fall far.

After a while Charlie's head was resting on the table. It was barely seven o'clock, but Aubrey told Beca that the pain meds made her drowsy and that the doctor recommended she rest lots anyway.

"You sleepy, baby?" Aubrey asked, stroking the young girl's hair.

Charlotte just yawned in response, and put up no argument when Aubrey carried her to her bedroom.

"Poor thing," Beca said when Aubrey returned.

"Yeah, she's strong but I feel for her. I broke a few bones when I was younger and I remember how much it hurt. I hate to see my baby in pain."

"I know," Beca put her arm around the other woman as they walked to the couch.

"It's Saturday; so nothing good on tv. Want to watch a movie that's actually rated higher than PG?" the blonde joked.

The two women sat mostly in silence, as they watched some rom-com off of Aubrey's shelf. Beca didn't hate movies anymore, but Aubrey's taste was particularly terrible. She only owned romantic comedies, and boxed sets of sappy chick shows. Still though, none of this seemed to matter to Beca when Aubrey put her arm around her.

"Crap, its already past one," Beca said, in the middle of yet another scenario where the main couple finally make up and vow to be together forever.

"So, do you work tomorrow?"

"No, it's just Sheila is such a hag, she gets mad any time I come in late. Apparently the sound of me walking up the stairs is too disturbing for her precious beauty sleep."

"You should stay."

"Overnight, are you sure?"

"Of course, I want you here."

"Okay, I can go home in the morning."

"No."

"Well I guess it's Sunday, I'm still off; I'll go home in the afternoon."

"No, this is your home, you should stay, and not just for one night."

"Aubrey, are you asking me to move in with you?"

"Yes, that is what you want right? Why you were mad at me this morning when I called?"

"Right that, yeah I was just disappointed that you said you kissed me and you said you loved me and I said it back and then you didn't ask me to stay."

"Well, I'm asking you now, do you want to stay?"

"Forever," before Beca could say another word, lips, Aubrey's lips were pressed to her own.

"I really do love you Beca," the blonde smiled.

"And I really do love you, and Charlie."

* * *

When Aubrey woke the next morning, she was freezing, no longer having any blankets wrapped around her. Apparently Beca was a blanket hog, but Aubrey was still happy to see the small brunette still lying next to her. It was still early, but she wanted to check on Charlotte so she left Beca to sleep a little longer.

"Hey sweetheart, how are you feeling this morning?" she asked, placing a kiss on her head.

"Okay, but I'm thirsty."

"Come on, we'll go get you some juice," Aubrey said, lifting the girl up off the bed and taking her to kitchen.

"I have to ask you something," Aubrey started once Charlie was seated, sipping her juice, "how do you feel about Beca?"

The little girl thought for a moment before answering, "I love Beca."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, she's funny and nice to me. She always hugs me, and plays games with me and watches the TV shows I like. She's like you mama."

Aubrey smiled wide at her daughter's admission. Beca is funny, and nice to her daughter and hugs her and plays games with her, and Aubrey couldn't ask for anything more.

"So, how would feel about Beca living here, with us?"

"Doesn't Beca already have a house?" the small blonde questioned innocently.

"Yes, but I think she might prefer this one."

"Because she would be with us?"

"Yes, because she would be with us."

"I would like that too."

"Me too, baby."

Just as Aubrey was about to start cooking breakfast, a yawning Beca walked into the kitchen.

"Good morning Beca!" Charlotte squealed.

Beca cringed slightly at the noise, "Morning babe, how are you feeling today?"

"I'm good. Do you want to live here instead of the place you already live?"

Beca couldn't help but laugh, "yes, yes I do."

"Good, we want you to live here too."

"I know."

Aubrey watched the exchange from the kitchen, completely ignoring the eggs she had been about to fry.

"How about after breakfast we go over to Beca's house and get all her stuff and bring it back here?"

"Then she can come home," Charlotte mused.

"Yeah, home," she agreed.

Beca learned all those years ago at Barden that home is the place where all the people you love are, so Aubrey's place, that was definitely Beca's home.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I wrote this originally as a one-shot, then a two-shot, but received a compelling request to continue it further. Thanks to JadedAngelisRising for the request, and the suggestions for what you'd like to see. Here is the first instalment of the continuation to this story, hopefully you'll enjoy it. As always, comments and feedback always appreciated. If anyone else has ideas for what kind stories they'd like to see told here, definitely let me know.

**6 Months Later**

Beca was startled awake after receiving a sharp elbow to the neck. She opened her eyes to see that Charlie was rolling around, trying to get comfortable in the middle of the bed. It wasn't often that she crawled in with them, but on occasions when she did she was never still. She moved around, kicked and more often than not Beca woke up with an elbow or limb in her face. Beca stifled a laugh, the sight was amusing. She put her arms around the little girl in an effort to stop her flailing, stopping her just short of hitting Aubrey in the face.

"Charlie," Beca whispered in her ear, "Charlie, wake up, are you okay?"

The small body rolled over and curled into Beca's side. Pale blue eyes stared up into her own, a smile curling at the edges of her tiny lips.

"I'm okay. I just crawled in here last night, I had a nightmare," she assured her.

"Are you sure? Do you want to talk about it?"

"No, I'm okay. Can we go watch cartoons?"

"Sure."

Beca crawled out of bed and sat on the edge, pulling on a pair of slippers. Charlie climbed onto her back and put her arms around Beca's neck, causing Beca to smile. She carried the little one out into the living room and set her down on the couch before sitting down next to her and throwing a blanket over the two of them. She flipped through the channels until she found a show she knew Charlie liked. It was Saturday morning which meant Beca and Charlie watched cartoons, ate cereal and played quietly letting Aubrey sleep in. The first time Charlie had jumped on Beca's back and asked her to get up and watch cartoons Beca had been taken aback and very sleepy, but since then she had gotten used to the early mornings and quite enjoyed them. Charlie would tell her stories or occasionally ask her a million questions and Beca liked they had this time to spend together, just the two of them.

* * *

This particular morning was a question morning. Charlie asked Beca mostly silly things, like which kind of ice cream she preferred, or whether or not she thought giraffes were really as nice as they seemed. On a commercial break though the line of questioning turned decidedly more serious than usual, especially for a newly five year old girl.

"Beca, you love mama right?"

"Yeah."

"And me?"

"Of course." Beca had now pulled the young girl up onto her lap to talk.

"And you're going to stay with us forever."

"That's the plan babe. Why do you ask?"

"Well, I was just wondering if you're my mom then. Can I call you mom, is that okay? Can you have two moms?" The small blonde was full of questions.

Beca smiled wide at Charlie before answering. "Yes, to all of that. I love you," Beca said placing a kiss on top of the small child's messy blonde bed head.

"I love you too, mom."

Charlie stayed on Beca's lap, cheering when the next show started. It was a few more minutes before Beca heard footsteps. Aubrey made her way out of the bedroom and down the hallway, stopping for a few moments to admire the site on the couch. Beca and Charlie curled up together, watching TV and laughing. She walked over slowly, kissing Beca first on the cheek and then placing a kiss gently on Charlie's head.

"Morning girls," Aubrey offered, before walking away to the kitchen to get her morning coffee.

"Good morning mama."

* * *

Beca nudged Charlie off her lap and back onto the couch, giving her a quick kiss before making her way to the kitchen. Aubrey had her back to her, pour cream and sugar into her mug. Beca wrapped her arms around her, and reached up to kiss the back of her neck. Aubrey took this as an invitation to turn around, placing her own arms around Beca's neck and kissing her on the lips.

"Well, good morning to you too," Beca smirked.

"How was your morning? The usual, cartoons and cereal I assume."

"The usual," Beca replied, but she couldn't hide the smile threatening to overtake her face. "She asked if she could call me mom this morning," she revealed, "that's okay right?"

"Of course it is, as long as it's okay with you."

"I almost cried actually," Beca admitted sheepishly. Aubrey was the only person who she would ever let see her mushy side.

"That's adorable," Aubrey said, kissing her on the cheek. "I love you."

* * *

The next morning Beca found herself in a rush to leave the house, she had a bunch of errands to run and she was running a bit late. She walked out into the living room in search of her shoe and found Charlie sprawled out on the couch, playing with some dolls.

"Good morning mom, will you come play dolls with me, you can be the real Barbie instead of the fake one my aunt gave me?"

"Hey Charlie, I'm sorry, I can't right now I've got to go out but I'll play with you later." Beca gave her a kiss on the head and headed for the door.

She stopped when the little girl spoke up again, "but mama said you were hanging out with me today. She has to go into work or something."

"On a Sunday?"

"I don't know," Charlie deadpanned.

Beca turned around and walked back into her bedroom where Aubrey was currently getting dressed. She admired the sight, Aubrey buttoning up her blouse and proceeding to put her hair up in a neat bun.

"Umm, Aubrey, I was just on my way out to run some errands and stuff, but Charlie said you had to work today."

"Yeah, I wasn't planning on it but some important, mandatory meeting came and apparently there's a lot of stuff to go through. No time during the school day for everything. Did you say you had plans today?"

"Just some errands, and coffee with my mom, its fine, I'll reschedule."

"No, no, I'll call someone to babysit Charlotte. Chloe is probably free."

"Don't, really. Chloe has an infant, she's probably exhausted. I will stay and play dolls," Beca stuck out her tongue.

"Are you sure? I can find someone else."

"I'm sure, go, now you don't want to be late for your important, mandatory meeting," Beca gave her a peck on the lips.

"Love you," Aubrey said, running out of the room.

The blonde gave her daughter a quick hug and ran out the door. Beca took off her shoes and made her way back out into the living room.

"So, it looks like I'm staying here with you today after all. Lucky me right," Beca smiled at the young girl. She sat down on the couch next to her and reached for a doll. Beca's doll turned out to be mad at Charlie's because she ate the last piece of cake, which sent the little blonde into a fit of giggles.

After their silly doll arguments, Charlie wanted Beca to read to her, and Beca decided it was a perfect opportunity to teach her how to read longer books. It didn't shock her at all that Charlie was already pretty good at reading, but she was more than happy to jump in when she needed help sounding things out. Once she got tired of reading she convinced Beca to play her still favourite game, Candyland and Beca was summarily beaten three times in a row.

* * *

It was a quarter after six when Aubrey finallyarrived back at the apartment, looking worn out and annoyed. Her face soften considerably though when she saw Beca in the kitchen attempting to cook something, with the help of her trusty assistant Charlie. The kitchen looked to be a mess, but Aubrey didn't care as much as she normally might, it's the thought that counts right.

"What are you gourmet chefs whipping up tonight?" Aubrey teased, setting down her paperwork and crouched down for a hug from Charlie who ran right into her open arms.

"Pasta and garlic bread," her daughter announced smiling. "Its your favourite, mom suggested we make it for you after your long day."

"Well that was nice of her," Aubrey smiled, giving her daughter a kiss on the cheek. "Why don't you go play in your room and I'll help her finish it up?" she suggested.

Charlie ran off in the direction of her room, taking her Barbies with her as she went.

"Thanks for today," Aubrey said, when her daughter had left them alone.

"Not a problem at all, we had fun."

"I'm sure but I really shouldn't just rely on you like that or assume you'll be available," the blonde clarified.

Beca thought about what she was about to say before putting it out there. "Yes you should. I want you to."

"What?"

"We're a family Aubrey, I'm your partner. I want you to be able to rely on me. I want you to just leave the house to go out for a run, or to run errands or to do whatever and just leave her here with me. I'll take care of her, always. I love you both so much. I mean obviously we need to get a little bit better at communicating our schedules to each other, but yeah, rely on me, always."

Aubrey came around the counter, and pressed a kiss to Beca's lips.

"You're amazing."

"I'm glad you think so. Maybe you'll agree to my next request."

"It's likely."

"Will you marry me?"

Aubrey's jaw dropped, she threw her arms around Beca before she even answered. "Yes, I will most definitely marry you."

Beca smiled, satisfied with the answer. "I kind of just decided for sure that I wanted to ask you earlier, when I was reading with Charlie. So I don't really have a ring yet, but we can go shopping."

"Awesome, we can pick out matching rings."

Beca scoffed but deep down she thought the idea was perfection. "Awesome," Beca replied.

After a few more kisses, Aubrey released Beca from her embrace to finish dinner. "I have to go call Chloe," she squealed excitedly.

Beca just smiled and called for Charlie to come back to the kitchen. As she had told Aubrey she had just realized earlier in the day when she was with Charlie that she wanted to ask her about getting married. Charlie had been reading the book to her out loud and Beca was just looking, staring at her. It occurred to her how much she loved the situation she was in. She had been thinking for a few weeks that she'd like to propose marriage because it just seemed right, but she hadn't been sure. In that moment though, she was absolutely sure it was what she wanted. She wanted more than anything for Aubrey to marry her, for the three of them to move into a house of their very own, and to maybe, someday give little Charlotte some siblings. Now, she was one step closer.


	4. Chapter 4

When Beca proposed she hadn't fully considered the consequences of actually having to participate in planning a wedding. She had thought about everything that would come after, the marriage, the house, the kids and getting to spend the rest of her life with Aubrey, but never the big day. It had been four months since her impromptu kitchen proposal and there were just two weeks left until the day, and right now, it seemed like more hassle that it was worth. Beca would have been happy to just go down to city hall and sign some paperwork, but Aubrey was the type to have always dreamed of her wedding day. She couldn't very well ask the woman to marry her and deny her all that a wedding meant. Thankfully Aubrey had agreed that a small wedding with just close friends and family was ideal, but even small weddings required preparation. That meant she was currently staring down a large pile of Jordan almonds, just begging to be stuffed into something frilly.

"What if I just quote 'From this Moment'?" Beca asked her friend.

"While I'm sure Aubrey will love whatever you say, how about something more original?" Chloe gave her a small smile.

She had loved the idea when Aubrey suggested they buck the traditional vows, but actually putting her feelings into words was proving difficult in practice. The two women had been in the kitchen for a few hours, Beca trying to write and Chloe there for moral support and almond wrapping. Aubrey was out shopping with Charlie, so it was the perfect time to try and get her vows down.

"That's not a bad idea though," Chloe spoke up again, "you write songs right?"

Beca nodded.

"and you've written about Aubrey?"

The brunette nodded again.

"So, quote yourself. You've always been able to express your feelings through music, just use some of your own lyrics."

"That's actually not a bad idea Red; I do have one song I think would work. It's called 'Nothing Expected,'" Beca revealed.

"Perfect, she wrote something really sweet for you by the way, she read it to me a couple weeks ago," Chloe added, smiling.

Of course Aubrey had already written her vows, and they were probably perfect and beautiful, just like her Beca thought. She really hoped her lyrics would stand up. They really expressed how she felt about her partner, and it made her smile just to think about reading them. It was a song she had written shortly after moving in with Aubrey and Charlie, and one of her favourites she had ever written. She hadn't recorded it yet, but she thought it might be a nice idea to do that so she could give it to Aubrey as a wedding gift. Music really was the best way Beca had to express her feelings, and she hoped her song would do everything she felt justice.

* * *

A few hours later the kitchen table was brimming with bundles of Jordan almonds, all neatly wrapped and ready for their wedding guests; mostly thanks to Chloe. Beca just couldn't get the hang of tying them nicely, and had given up. She had wandered over towards the living room, and was playing peek-a-boo with Chloe's six month old son Avery when she heard the keys scrape in the lock.

The blonde smiled brightly at the sight when she walked through the door; Beca all smiles on the couch tickling the small boy's chin sweetly. Charlie ran over and sat down next to the brunette, watching as she played with the baby. The five year old was quite fond of the little boy, always giving him a big kiss and offering to play with him whenever her mothers hung out with his. Beca found it sweet to see the two of them together, and it never failed to make her think of the future, when she and Aubrey would give Charlie a little sibling. She was confident that the girl would be just as good with her baby brother or sister as she was with Avery.

"How was the mall sweetie?" Beca asked her little girl.

"Fun," she cheered, "I got a dress for the wedding."

Charlie was just as excited for the wedding as Aubrey was. She couldn't wait to wear a cute dress and be the flower girl. The only other wedding she had ever been to had been Chloe and her husband's with Aubrey. She was just two at the time and couldn't remember a thing; although she had been the flower girl at that ceremony too. Weddings Beca had explained to her were big parties that you had when two people were so in love that they just had to celebrate. A wedding meant the start of a long, happy life together, and it meant you were promising to be together always. Charlie liked this explanation, as she associated parties and celebrations with good things. Beca didn't care much for weddings but to see Aubrey and Charlie so excited was a good enough reason for her to go ahead with the whole thing.

"Charlotte, why don't you go and get changed. We're going to be leaving soon."

Aubrey had walked over into the living room after taking off her coat and shoes. She pressed a sweet kiss to Beca's lips before sending her daughter off to change. They had promised to take her to the fair that was in town this weekend for some cotton candy, and her favourite rides. It would be the three of them, as well as Chloe, Jason and Avery. As Aubrey had told her when they reconnected Jason really was a good guy, and Beca did like him. He was smart, funny, was good to Chloe, and Beca had deemed that he even had pretty good taste in music. She liked him even more after he took her side in the wedding song debate. Aubrey had suggested "The Way You Look Tonight," but Beca said it was cliché and wanted "The First Day of My Life" instead, never one to go for the popular choice. While Chloe had melted at the idea of Aubrey's suggestion, Jason said hers was sweeter. In the end though they compromised and decided to go with "Before Your Love," because Beca agreed that at least Kelly Clarkson was a bad ass pop star.

* * *

Charlie could barely contain her excitement when they arrived at the fairgrounds. It was sensory overload and the little girl bounced up and down, trying to decide what to do first. After a full walk around the area she finally decided on the bumper cars. Since she was so little she needed an adult to accompany her and drive the car. Beca would have joined her, but she didn't think it would be any good for her motion sickness. Aubrey had gone off to find a restroom and some cotton candy for her daughter but Jason was more than happy to accompany her. After assuring Beca that he would keep her safe, Jason grabbed the tiny blonde's hand and they made their way into the queue. Beca and Chloe watched as they waited for Aubrey to return.

Across the grounds Aubrey was about to approach the booth she found selling bright pink cotton candy when a familiar face stopped her in her tracks.

"Daniel," she said, almost bumping into the tall man.

"Aubrey, wow, umm hi."

There was awkward silence in the air, one that neither of them were ready to break. The tall man stood there, running his fingers through his short blonde hair.

"You're back in Atlanta?" she asked, finally breaking the silence.

"Yeah, just for the week actually. We're here for my cousin's wedding."

"We?" the blonde asked, regretting it as soon as the words had left her lips.

The man stood there silently for a moment before answering her. "Umm yeah," he started, motioning to the woman who was walking towards them, "this is my wife Jenny."

A tall brunette was now standing next to the man, smiling tentatively at Aubrey who it was clear she had no clue about. Aubrey looked into her dark eyes, and then down towards the woman's round belly. She had to be about six maybe seven months along Aubrey thought to herself.

"Are you here alone?" Aubrey heard him ask, still distracted by the sight of the woman in front of her.

"No," she said, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. "I'm with some friends, and Charlotte is here too," she confirmed. The man winced slightly at her admission.

"Are you going to introduce me?" his wife finally piped up, looking slightly annoyed. Aubrey couldn't blame her, she would probably be annoyed too if her husband was having a rather odd conversation with a random woman she didn't recognize.

"Right…" he started awkwardly, "Jenny this is Aubrey. We are fr…"

"Nothing," she cut him off coldly, "we just used to know each other."

Jenny gave her an odd stare, before linking her fingers possessively with her husband's. Aubrey laughed internally, as if she would want the slime ball that she called a husband. It was clear to her that the woman had no idea that her precious hubby had knocked her up and left her just over six years ago. It almost made her ill to see him standing there with her, acting like nothing had happened. She wished now that she hadn't engaged him, at least then she wouldn't know that he was presumably happily married with a baby on the way.

She preferred to think of Daniel as just another tool she used to know, but now that he was in front of her, she was forced to confront every awful feeling she still had about his abandonment. Not so much his abandonment of her as they weren't even really together, but more so his abandonment of Charlotte. It was like rubbing salt in an open wound to see that he was about to become a father for the second time, and he hadn't ever bothered to find out anything about his first kid. All he knew was that her name was Charlotte because Aubrey had texted him a few days after the birth with that detail, to which she received no response, but she was sure he had read it.

"I uh, I, I should get back," Aubrey stammered choking back the bile in her throat.

"It was nice seeing you again," Daniel lied, a pained smile spread forcefully across his features.

Aubrey actually rolled her eyes this time, spitting, "not that you care, but she's fine," at him before walking away to find Beca and her daughter.

* * *

She couldn't help the tears that rolled down her face as she walked towards them. She wiped them away, but that would never stop Beca or Chloe from noticing their remnants.

"Are you okay?" was the first thing out of Beca's mouth when she finally reached them.

"Fine, yeah. I just ran into someone."

"Who?" Beca asked, concerned.

Aubrey didn't really want to talk about it, especially not in front of Charlotte but she couldn't avoid the question. Beca would just get more concerned and upset if she didn't answer, and she didn't want that either.

"Daniel," Aubrey sighed, eliciting a shocked gasp from Chloe, who knew all too well Aubrey's history with the man.

"Yeah, he's here with his wife Jenny, his pregnant wife," she explained.

Beca was confused, but Chloe wrapped an arm around her friend, offering a comforting smile.

"Why don't you and Beca go home and Jason and I will bring Charlie home when she's done having fun?" the red head suggested, knowing Aubrey was in no mood to hang around the fair and probably needed to break down.

"Thanks Chloe," Aubrey hugged her, before meeting Charlie and Jason at the exit to the ride they had just been on.

"Hey Charlie, mom and I are going to go home and do some chores, but I want you to stay and have fun okay. Just stick with Chloe, Jason and Avery, and they'll bring you home later. Jason even said he was going to get that cotton candy for you, right Jay?"

"Yep," he smiled at Aubrey, not knowing what was going on but he figured Chloe would explain the situation later.

"Okay, see you later" Charlie smiled, hugging her mom goodbye before taking Jason's hand again.

Aubrey walked back over to where Beca and Chloe were standing. She took Beca's hand and kissed her cheek, before thanking her friends again and walking back to her car. She wasn't exactly sure what to tell Beca when they got home. After Aubrey told her that Charlotte's father was a random drunk hook up who had told her to get an abortion, Beca never asked about him again. She figured the information was irrelevant because he was never in her life, and she never imagined he would be. He had moved a few hours away in the state, and never contacted her. She could never have guessed that she would see him again, or that she would feel as awful as she did right now if she did. She always thought of him as a somewhat meaningless acquaintance, but her feelings tonight suggested otherwise.

* * *

"So are you going to tell me who Daniel is and why seeing him has made you so upset?"

Beca had waited until they were back in their apartment, and she had made them both some tea before asking this. Aubrey had cried all the way back on the car ride, and Beca needed to know why. She hated seeing Aubrey so upset, and would like nothing more to punch the reason for her tears, as soon as she found out who he was.

"Daniel is Charlotte's father," Aubrey said finally, after talking a deep breath and a sip of her tea.

"Oh," was all Beca could say.

She wasn't sure who she was expecting him to be, maybe and ex or an old friend, but it wasn't that. All she knew about Charlotte's father was that he and Aubrey had hooked up once and he wasn't interested in having a kid, so he left. She had never asked for any more details because she didn't care. Any douchebag who would leave Aubrey wasn't worth any of Beca's time and energy, so she dropped the subject completely.

"I saw him and I just said hi and then there she was, his pregnant wife."

Beca stayed quiet, unsure of what to say yet.

"Seeing him wasn't so upsetting, but seeing her crushed me. It felt like such a slap in the face, and I just feel so awful," Aubrey was crying again.

"Hey, Aubrey, it's okay," Beca offered softly, rubbing Aubrey's back soothingly.

"It's not though. He's having a kid with his wife. He can't be bothered to get to know or take care of the child he already has and he's having another one. He has no right. His new kid isn't more important than Charlie. She doesn't deserve to have such a scum bag for a father; one who doesn't even want to meet her. I always said it was his loss, not getting to know Charlotte but she loses here too and that kills me. How is she going to feel when she gets older and starts asking questions? I won't lie to her you know. What's it going to do to her when she knows she's got a father who takes care of all his children, except her? Beca I dread the moment she finds out that her father doesn't love her, but he has children he does love. That feeling could break her, and its breaking my heart already."

When Aubrey had finished Beca's own eyes were dripping with salty, wet tears. She hadn't ever considered that, but she understood what Aubrey was saying. It wasn't exactly the same, but she had felt horrible when her own father walked out on their family. She remembered what it was like to feel like he didn't love her or care about her. She never wanted Charlotte to have to feel like that, or worse.

When she knew what she wanted to say, she spoke up, breaking their sad silence.

"Aubrey, I'm so sorry you had to run into him today and I'm sorry about how you're feeling. I get it, I do. He's awful, but it's totally his loss if he chooses not to get to know Charlie. She's amazing, and he's totally missing out. My life is so much better now that she's in it, and I was never someone who wanted kids or understood why people had them. I can't imagine waking up in the morning and not getting a hug from that little girl. She makes every day so much more fun, so much brighter and she's so sweet; she's perfect. Just remember that she has you, and she has me and whatever happens in the future we'll get her through it. She's never going to have to feel unloved okay, and I'll do everything in my power to make her understand how loved she is every day. I promise."

Her father's indifference towards her didn't matter to Beca. She loved her and she was going to make sure that Charlie knew it, even more so than she had before. If that meant giving her extra hugs and extra kisses, or spending more time with her, or just telling her more often, Beca was going to do that. She meant what she said about Charlie being perfect, Beca couldn't imagine having a more special and lovely child in her life. It really was Daniel's loss not to have the pleasure of knowing her.

* * *

The next two weeks flew by, and Beca couldn't believe it when she woke up the morning of her wedding. They were all set to have an early afternoon outdoor ceremony at a park nearby, before retreating into a hall for the reception. Beca breathed a sigh of relief knowing all the planning was now completed; all she had to do was show up and declare her love for Aubrey and that was easy enough.

Beca could feel the cold from the other side of the bed, and when she opened her eyes she saw that sure enough, Aubrey was gone. They had agreed the night prior that they would see each other again, and for their first time in their wedding dresses at the park later that day. Aubrey and Charlie would get ready with Chloe, and Beca would get ready on her own. She had opted for a simple dress she could slip into, and she could do her own hair and makeup easily.

It was three hours later when Beca finally reached the park. She could see all the white chairs for their guests already set up, and the beautiful flowers and decorations all around. Chloe and her friend that was a wedding planner had done a lovely job. Beca smiled when she saw her father walk towards her in his suit. He was accompanied by his wife Shelia and he was smiling from ear to ear.

"You ready for the first day of the rest of your life kiddo?"

"I am," Beca said, unable to stop herself from smiling, "I really am."

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally wrote a Mitchsen wedding, this is something I've been meaning to do for a while in one fic or another. I've written a few stories with Mitchsen endgame, but never with their actual wedding included. Hopefully you'll enjoy this fairly fluffy chapter. As always your feedback in the form of comments and messages is always greatly appreciated. I love to hear people's thoughts whether they be good, or otherwise, it always helps with improvement. For this story in particular I'm also open to suggestions about what people would like to see happen in the future. It's kind of open-ended in that I don't have a set ending in mind just yet.

Beca watched as Aubrey walked down the aisle towards her, in what was perhaps the most beautiful dress she had ever seen, or maybe it was just that it was on the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. She couldn't stop the wide smile playing at the corners of her lips, and she wouldn't want to, she wanted Aubrey to see just how overjoyed she was when she reached her destination. She also couldn't help the fact that her eyes were already getting a little bit watery, and not a word had even been said yet. Nothing really needed to be said, because the look on Aubrey's face told Beca everything she needed to know. She was smiling, and not just a regular smile but the most content smile Beca had ever seen on her face; one that told her that there was no one else in the world she would rather be smiling at. All of the annoyance at the crazy and stressful planning had completely melted away, this was worth it; the look they shared when Aubrey finally stood in front of her was priceless.

I love you Aubrey mouthed before the officiator spoke up to address their guests.

I love you too.

When it was time for their vows, Aubrey was beaming. She took a deep breath before she started, not that she needed it because she was calmer than she'd ever been. Aubrey had what she wanted to say to Beca on their wedding day memorized from the moment she wrote it down. It wasn't hard to remember, everything was genuine and from the heart; she could never forget her feelings for the other woman.

"I'm resisting the urge to say something cheesy or cliché right now because I know how much you hate that, but I can't resist the urge to tell you how much I love you. When I first met you, you were the most infuriating person I had ever had the displeasure of encountering. When I met you for the second time though you somehow became the most amazing person I have ever had the pleasure of knowing and loving. Over the past year you have become my everything; the person I love more than anything in this world. You may not know this but you are the sweetest, kindest, most loving and most special person. The way you love me and care for me always is something I never could have fathomed having another person do for me, but you do, every day, without fail. Today I take you as my wife with pride and I will try my hardest every day to give you just as much undying love and care. I hope I can be your everything too, because you deserve all of the love in the world. Beca, I will be right here, with you, for as long as I am on this earth, that's my promise to you. I love you so much."

In the seconds Aubrey spoke Beca had gone from composed to a complete wreck. Her makeup was smudged and the tears that fell down her cheeks were unavoidable. She almost wasn't sure she could speak herself as she was so overwhelmed with emotion. It was the squeeze of her hand she received from the other woman that helped her get it together. She cleared her throat before beginning to tell Aubrey how she feels.

"If you don't mind love, I'm just going to read to you the lyrics of a song I wrote about us," Beca explained before she started to read the words to the song she had written months ago, "I never dreamed I'd ever see you again but seeing you in a new light turned our unexpected meeting into a dream I never want to end. You're like nothing I expected or anything I ever imagined but yet you're all I'll ever need and I'm taking this chance to make you mine. I know you never saw me coming but I hope you see me now just standing right here waiting for a chance to be your girl. Nothing I expected has ever turned out quite so beautiful as you and I together in forever's shining light. Aubrey, I love you more than anything, and as I take this chance at forever, I'm glad I'm taking it with you. I will happily take you as my wife today, and promise to love and cherish you for as long as I live. My heart is yours, and I never want it back."

When she finished speaking Beca could see that Aubrey's eyes now matched her own; filled with tears. Before he could even give her permission Beca leaned forward and kissed her gently on the cheek. They then exchanged their matching rings, before having their first official kiss as wives. It was sweet and beautiful and a kiss Beca knew she would remember forever. It had the familiarity of every kiss she had shared with Aubrey but yet it meant so much more. It was something she could recall any day she needed, just to give herself a reminder of how loved she was, and that warmed her heart even more. The strength of memories was important and everything about this day would be burned in the back of her mind. The way Aubrey looked in her dress, the way she looked at Beca, the words she said, the feeling she got when they were officially married, and the kiss that wrapped up all of the emotion in a simple moment.

* * *

After the ceremony Beca and Aubrey walked back down the aisle arm in arm; smiling at their loved ones and relishing in their first few moments together as a married couple. Aubrey stopped them abruptly and Beca wondered why when she saw Aubrey pointing off at another part of the park.

"Remember, that's where you bumped into me," her wife whispered in her ear.

She hadn't at first but now, looking around the park Beca did remember. This is where she had been walking through the day she bumped into Aubrey when she got back to Atlanta. It wasn't the route she normally would have taken, but it was such a nice day and the park was so lovely she couldn't resist. When she thought about it Beca realized just how romantic Aubrey had been in planning their wedding. It was exactly a year to the day that she and Beca had run into each other again, and the ceremony had been setup to face the location where they had bumped into each other. The flowers Aubrey selected were the exact same kind Beca had bought for her on Valentine's Day. Charlotte and their bridesmaids were even wearing purple dresses, matching exactly the shade of Beca's favourite shirt of Aubrey's. She wished in that moment that she had paid a little more attention to the wedding planning because each detail was more beautiful than the last. Aubrey had made sure everything about the ceremony had special meaning to them as a couple. She made a mental note to do something special for Aubrey soon to thank her for caring so much.

"And I will forever be glad I did," she whispered back, pressing a kiss to Aubrey's cheek.

* * *

The reception setup was just as lovely, filled with the same gorgeous flowers; tulips. The DJ, just about the only part of the wedding planning Beca took part in played a variety of excellent tracks; some of Beca's choosing and some she knew Aubrey would love. She even made a special request for him to play "I Saw the Sign" at some point during the night as a surprise. After their first dance as wives Beca danced with her father to a beautiful song he suggested himself. She felt bad though, as Aubrey sat with Charlotte watching them dance. Aubrey's parents hadn't even bothered to respond to the wedding invitation they were sent. Her worries faded quickly though as her father released her, and offered Aubrey his hand, inviting her to dance with him. Beca didn't always get along with the man, but it was moments like this when she understood just how much he loved her, and how he would do anything for her. She smiled as her new wife danced happily with her father. It probably didn't take away the pain of not having her own parents at their wedding, but it certainly helped her to cheer her up.

"I'm glad she found you again," Sam Mitchell spoke up in the midst of his dance with his new daughter in law.

Aubrey just smiled, she was just as glad to have found Beca.

"She was really down during her last few months in LA, and when she got back here. I hated to see her feeling so low, and helpless. As soon as she started seeing you though, it was like all the light had come back into her world. All she could do was gush about you and little Charlie; I hadn't seen her like that in years, since she fell in love with music. It was like you were her new favourite song and she just had to share." The man's eyes had started to get a little misty as he talked about his daughter, "It's just nice to watch your kid fall in love you know and with such a lovely person too."

Aubrey was in tears again hearing about how much Beca really and truly loved her. When love is that strong that other people can see it in your eyes, and hear it in your voice, you know you have something special.

"Well, it's been nice to fall in love with her too. I can't wait to do it again, every single day."

Beca watched happily as her father and her new wife danced, and talked; she wondered what they were talking about but she was almost sure it was her. Her smile only got wider when the next person she saw her father offer a dance to was little Charlotte. She hadn't yet spent much time around Dr. Mitchell and his wife, but the times they had met they had gotten along well. Beca saw how good her father was with Charlie, and it reminded her of her childhood. Her dad was always willing to play with dolls, or get a makeover; he would do anything to make his daughter happy. He told Beca after the first time she and Aubrey had come over for dinner with Charlie that they were more than happy to have a granddaughter.

Aubrey cried when Beca filled her in, admitting that she hated that none of her daughter's biological grandparents were in her life. She figured it was unlikely that Daniel had ever told his parents about her and her own were so stubborn they hadn't spoken to her since she told them she was pregnant. The blonde had all these fond memories of time spent with her own grandparents and it made her sad to think Charlie was missing out. Aubrey just wanted Charlotte to be surrounded by people who loved and cared about her, and Beca's father had certainly shown that he did.

"He's going to be an awesome grandpa to our kids," Aubrey said, wrapping her arms around Beca's waist from behind as the two of them watch the pair dancing.

"Our kids, huh," Beca smirked.

"Sorry…Uh, I guess I never really asked you if you wanted to have more. I mean, it's okay if you don't…" the blonde's voice trailed off, not wanting to ruin any moment of their perfect day.

Beca turned around to face Aubrey before answering her. It was true that they hadn't actually talked about it before. Beca had just assumed that Aubrey would want at least one more with her, and didn't see that as an issue. Back in LA she never really dreamed about having any of this, but now that she did, she didn't want anything else. She loved Charlotte to pieces, and was thrilled about the possibility of adding another child to their little family. The brunette reached up to put her hands on Aubrey's cheeks, pulling her in for a kiss.

"I do."

"You do?"

"Absolutely, at least one more," she confirmed.

Aubrey threw her arms around her wife's neck, "I'm so happy to hear you say that, I really want to have a baby with you."

"Well, I'm glad we're on the same page. I guess I just got thrown into the whole parenting thing, but I really do love it. Charlotte's going to be six this year, so I figure, the sooner the better."

"I love you Beca, and now I can't wait for us to start working on expanding our family."

Beca just nodded, leaning in for another kiss. "Me neither."

* * *

The rest of the evening was filled mostly with more dancing and mingling with their guests. Everyone in attendance wanted to wish them well, and it was nice. Fat Amy had even done a dance for them that she claimed was a Tasmanian love dance that would bring them great joy and happiness.

It was almost midnight when Beca looked over saw little Charlie yawning and rubbing her eyes in her seat. She walked over and gently picked the little girl up, allowing her to rest her head on her shoulder.

"Are you tired sweetheart?"

"No, I was just…" Charlie started to speak, but a yawn gave her away.

"It's okay; it's late, we can go home and get some sleep now."

When Beca found Aubrey she was chatting excitedly with Chloe, presumably about their earlier conversation. The two of them thanked her for all of her help and she assured them that she would take care of their remaining guests if they wanted to head out. They left shortly after saying goodbye to their family members and friends. Charlie was sound asleep as Beca buckled her safely in the backseat of Aubrey's vehicle. When they reached their apartment Beca carried her to her bedroom, changed her into some pajamas and laid her down for the night, kissing her on the head before leaving the room.

* * *

They could have booked a hotel and left Charlie with Chloe, or the Mitchells, but being at home, together just felt right. At the moment they didn't really have the time to go away on a honeymoon, but they did both take off Monday and Tuesday so they'd have a few days together. Aubrey and Beca both changed and hung up their dresses, before falling into bed. Beca nuzzled her head in the crook of Aubrey's neck, smiling up at her.

"Today was perfect," she whispered into her wife's neck.

"You're perfect, and your song was beautiful by the way."

"Thanks babe, I recorded it for you actually."

"I can't wait to listen to it….tomorrow though, tonight I have other plans," the blonde winked.

"Sounds good," Beca mumbled into her skin, kissing her way up Aubrey's neck and jawline.

"Mhmm, I love you Mrs. Posen."

"I think I could get used to the sound of that."

"Good."

"Also," Beca turned her head upwards and caught her wife's lips in a kiss, "I love you too."

* * *

The next morning they were awoken like many other mornings by the sound of little feet bounding down the hallway toward their room. Beca laughed when the door swung over and a penguin pajama clad Charlie jumped onto their bed. She smiled brightly at the two women, before settling in between them.

"Morning snuggle bunny," Beca said softly, brushing blonde wisps out of the little girl's pale blue eyes.

"Good morning baby," Aubrey whispered, pressing a kiss to the side of her head.

"Good morning mommies, can we have pancakes?" Charlie asked sweetly.

Aubrey just laughed, "Yeah, in a few minutes okay."

Aubrey just wanted to cuddle with her two favourite people, her wife and her daughter just a little while longer. She looked down at both of them, nothing but love in her eyes. She couldn't wait for the day when they would have another little one joining in on morning cuddles, or pancake breakfasts. She silently thanked her lucky stars that she had given Beca her number that day in the park. No singular decision had ever affected her life as much as that one. Thanks to a chance meeting with an old friend Aubrey had finally found the love of her life, and she was never letting her go. The only thing she wanted to do now was build upon their life together and make it even more loved filled, and wonderful than it already was.

Moments later Aubrey's phone began to buzz on her bedside table. Probably another well wisher calling to congratulate her on her marriage she figured.

"I'll just go take this in the living room, how about you and the snuggle bunny get dressed for the day and then come out for pancakes?"

Beca nodded, as Aubrey slid her finger across the screen to answer the call.

"Mom?" Aubrey said curiously as she heard the voice on the other end.

She listened intently as the other woman spoke. Her mother explained that she was sorry she didn't come to her wedding, and that she felt incredibly guilty. She also informed her daughter that she was leaving her father. He had been the one to make the choices over the last few years that had lost them all contact with their only child. She hated that she hadn't spoken to her in years, and that she had never met her granddaughter. The woman explained that she grew up in a time where divorce was not an option, and that she didn't think she could leave him. Missing their daughter's wedding though had been the final straw for Aubrey's mother. She could no longer stand to be with a man who was so rigid and cold that he could ignore the fact that they had a daughter, and a granddaughter. Aubrey just nodded along with her mother, throwing in verbal signs of agreement when she remembered her mother couldn't see her.

"Okay, bye mom, see you soon," Aubrey finally said, hanging up the phone.

Aubrey's face was plastered with a look of complete shock when Beca and Charlie finally made their way out to the living room.

"Who was that?" Beca asked, noticing the look on her wife's face.

"My mother," Aubrey deadpanned.

"Oh," Beca's look now matched her partner's.

"She is leaving my father and wants to come here and meet you and Charlotte," she explained the details of their phone conversation.

"Wow, that's big."

Aubrey took a deep breath, "yeah, I mean I haven't seen her in almost seven years."

"Are you okay?" Beca asked, concerned.

"I think so, I mean, I guess I'm looking forward to it. I want my mother to get to know my two favourite girls; I want her to be part of my family again. I love my life, but there's still been a hole for a while, something missing, you know."

Beca walked over and sat down next to her wife on the couch, pressing a kiss to her lips. "I know."

"Pancakes now?" Charlie piped up, breaking the comfortable silence with a toothy grin.

"Yes, we can have pancakes now."


	6. Chapter 6

"Jesus Christ Beca, do you have to leave your clothes all over the damn floor?"

The question was rhetorical; Aubrey had been railing on for the last fifteen minutes about how she never cleaned up the bedroom, and didn't put her clothes away. Beca had tried to defend herself or apologize at first, but eventually just gave up. Aubrey wasn't listening and Beca couldn't take the yelling. It was shrill and painful, hurting her ears and her heart. All she could think of as Aubrey yelled were all the nights spent in her room as a teen, listening as her parents screamed at each other. Eventually she just walked away, and into their bedroom, lying face down on her side of the bed. She buried her face in the pillows and tears began to fall from her eyes.

"What the hell Beca? Don't walk away from…"

Aubrey stopped in the door way, the faint sound of whimpering putting an immediate end to her shouting. The blonde made her way towards the bed, gently taking a seat on the edge. She placed her hand tentatively on the brunette's back, unsure whether or not the lack of reaction was a good thing or not.

"Beca, sweetheart, are you crying?"

Beca didn't answer, far too upset to form any words.

"Come on, talk to me."

After a few more moments Beca sat up, wiping her eyes with her sleeves; not wanting to look her wife in the eyes. She didn't want to scream and yell, she didn't want to fight with the other woman.

"What's wrong? This can't just be about the clothes," Aubrey spoke softly.

Beca sighed, "We've only been married for a couple weeks and we're already fighting."

"Aww, babe, it's okay," Aubrey started, giving the other woman a sweet peck on the cheek. "It's our first fight, and I'm sure it won't be our last, but that's okay. Couples fight Beca, they have disagreements and they argue, and that's healthy. I know you heard a lot of fighting when you were younger and I know your parents' marriage didn't work out but that's not us, okay, I promise. It's when the fighting stops and someone leaves that you have to worry. Little fights and disagreements, it just means you care enough about the relationship to make it work. I'm always going to fight with you when we disagree, but I'm still always going to love you, I hope you understand that."

"I guess I'm just inexperienced, this is my first and only real, long term relationship. Sorry for being such a baby about it."

"It's okay, I'm sorry for yelling at you."

"Promise me something?" Beca asked her tone more serious than usual.

"Anything," Aubrey agreed, before even hearing the request.

"Can we not fight in front of our children?"

"I promise, and I'll try and be nicer, even when I'm upset with you. You don't deserve to be yelled at, you're an awesome wife."

"I love you," Beca leaned over and kissed the other woman firmly on the lips.

"I love you too, but babe you're 26, can you please pick up your damn clothes?" Aubrey smirked.

Beca just laughed, "yeah, sorry about that. I'll try and make more of an effort to be neater."

Aubrey wrapped her arms around Beca's neck and pulled her down onto the bed, kissing her lips repeatedly. The brunette's messiness may irritate her sometimes, but she certainly wouldn't trade her. Aubrey would much rather pick up Beca's clothes off the floor for the rest of her life than wake up in the morning next to anyone else; Beca was it for her, bad habits and all.

* * *

"Maybe fighting won't be such a bad thing after all," Beca said a few hours later, smiling wide.

"I take it you're a fan of the makeup sex then," her wife smirked, pulling her shirt back on.

"Indeed, and you certainly didn't mind me throwing my clothes on the floor either."

"Yeah well, they were in the way of your hot bod, but now you're going to pick them up, along with the rest of the crap around the house. We were supposed to be spending this afternoon cleaning up the place for my mother's visit."

That's what they had told Chloe they were going to do when they asked her to watch Charlotte for a few hours. Not that Aubrey minded how they had actually spent their time, but they did need to get the place clean. She hadn't seen her mother in seven years and she didn't want the first time the woman visited her home to be when it looked like it had been ransacked by bandits. Even though it had been her parents that kicked her out and essentially abandoned her, she still wanted to impress her mother. She wanted to show her how well she'd done for herself, she had a good job, she was a good mother and now she was married and looking to buy a house and have another child. Aubrey was happy, and she wanted, or rather she needed her mother to know that.

* * *

Beca made quick work of the clothes all over the bedroom, knowing better than to complain about picking up. Less than an hour later and everything in the house was tidy and hopefully presentable enough for Aubrey. They finished just in time too as just moments after Beca sunk into the couch next to her wife the door sprung open; Charlie running in through it and into Beca's lap. Chloe followed the youngster in, shooting her friends a smile and laying her bag on the counter.

"Hey Chloe, thanks for taking her this afternoon," Aubrey said as her friend walked into the living room area.

"No problem. We had a great time."

"We played dolls and Chloe did my hair in braids," the small blonde piped up.

"I can see that," Aubrey replied sweetly, "you look adorable, even more so than usual."

"Well I have to get back home to my baby, so see you later this week. Have a good visit, bye Charlie," the red head winked, walking out the door.

"Bye Chloe."

* * *

It was less than twenty minutes after Chloe left when there was a knock on their door. None of their close friends ever knocked so Aubrey knew this had to be her mother. She took a deep breath, looking down when she felt Beca squeezing her hand. The brunette looked up at her from the couch and all Aubrey needed to see was the love in her eyes to know she could do this. She had nothing to worry about, her mother would love Charlie and Beca and if she didn't, she could leave.

Still Aubrey opened the door cautiously, exhaling once again before pulling it open. There stood her mother, Laura Posen, tall and blonde, with pale eyes just like Aubrey's own. It was a few seconds before either of them said anything, just taking the time to take the sight of one another in. As Aubrey had told Beca, it had been almost seven years since she had last seen or talked to her mother. There had been a few hang ups on her line over the years that Aubrey was sure were her mother, but she never said anything. Aubrey couldn't imagine abandoning her own daughter the way her parents had her, but she knew that was more her father's doing. He was always the dominant one in their household, and it was just easier for her mother to do as he wished than to argue. She still blamed the woman for her actions, but she was slightly more willing to let her back in.

"Aubrey," she said finally, breaking their silence.

"Mom, come in, please."

Aubrey's shoulders tensed up as her mom leaned in and embraced her. Her parents had rarely hugged her growing up, so it wasn't just the last seven years that she had been missing that contact. After releasing her, Aubrey's mother stepped over the thresh hold and into the apartment. From where they were standing they had a clear view of Beca and Charlie who were currently engaged in a tickle fight. Charlie was giggling loudly as Beca tickled her tummy and captured her in her arms. Aubrey smiled; the sight of her two favourite people just enjoying themselves warmed her heart. She was quite certain there was absolutely nothing more adorable than her daughter wrapped up in the arms of her adoring wife.

Aubrey cleared her throat to get the attention of her girls, who immediately turned to look at the two women in front of them.

"Hey Charlie, you know how Beca and I are your parents, and you know Beca's parents?"

Charlie nodded, suddenly more shy than usual upon noticing the new presence in the house.

"Well, this is my mom, can you say hi sweetheart?"

"Hello," the little girl said softly.

"Hi Charlie," the girl's grandmother matched the child's gentle tone.

"Mom this is Beca," Aubrey then chimed in.

Beca extended her hand for her wife's mother. Beca had a bad history with parents, but she had managed to let her own father back in after he left her, so she didn't discourage Aubrey from doing the same.

"It's nice to meet you Mrs. Posen," the brunette said genuinely.

"It's nice to meet you too dear, congratulations on the wedding."

Beca scooted down to the end of the couch with Charlie in her lap, Aubrey taking a seat in the middle offering her mother the other end. Awkward silence filled the air, no one quite sure what to say. What do you say after seven years apart, so much was new that it was hard to know where to start. Did Aubrey tell her mother all about her years alone, struggling to raise a child, or did she start with how she met Beca again and their life together. Aubrey's mother was just as lost for words, unsure as to whether or not she should apologize again or just try and pick up where they left off. There was so much unsaid that it was so difficult to decide which things to say, and which ones to leave in the past.

"Why don't I take us all out for dinner tonight," Mrs. Posen started, "to celebrate your marriage?"

"Sounds good," Beca offered, when she could see that Aubrey was lost in her thoughts.

Beca nudged her wife gently in the arm, spurring her to say something, anything.

It was Charlie who spoke up first though, "so if you're my mom's mom then you're my grandma."

The older woman smiled, "yes, yes I am. How do you feel about having a grandma?"

"Well I already have one, and she's nice so I think it would be good to have another one. She bakes me cookies a lot too," Charlie gushed.

Shelia loved to bake and she always had a warm plate of chocolate chip cookies ready when the little girl visited. Charlie loved to visit with Sheila and Sam, partly because of the cookies and partly because she always had a lot of fun with them.

Aubrey watched, waiting for her mother's reaction. She was unsure what her mother would think of the comment.

"That's very nice of her, I love to bake you know. I'll have to bake you something next time I see you. Would you like that?"

"Yes," the little girl squealed, the talk of baked goods having brought her out of her shell.

Charlie spent the next half hour asking her grandmother questions and keeping the conversation going. Both Aubrey and Beca were grateful as neither of them really knew what to say. At some point Aubrey's mother even broke out some pictures of Aubrey as a child from her wallet. Both Beca and Charlie loved seeing the pictures. Beca was struck by how much Charlie looked like Aubrey when she was young. They could all tell Charlie was trying to wrap her young mind around the fact that Aubrey had once been as little as she was. After a while Beca whispered something in Charlie's ear and immediately the little girl took off for her bedroom.

"I'm just going to go read with Charlie, you two should talk before dinner."

* * *

Aubrey was reluctant to let go of her wife's hand, still unsure about what to even talk about with her mother. Beca kissed her wife gently on the cheek, removing herself from the woman's grasp and leaving to join their daughter in her room. The two blondes sat in silence for a few moments longer before her mother spoke up.

"Aubrey, I really am truly sorry for the last seven years. I can't apologize to you enough, for leaving you alone to raise her. She's so beautiful, and sweet, she reminds me of you when you were little."

"Mom, honestly, it's still going to take me some time to get past you cutting me out when I needed you the most, but I'm glad you're here. I really want Charlie to know you, and I want you to know her and Beca. They both bring me so much joy."

"I can tell by the way you look at them," her mother said simply.

Aubrey smiled at the thought; she always wanted them to know how much she loved them.

"That's from your wedding?" the older woman inquired, pointing at the newly framed photo in the middle of the mantle.

"It is," Aubrey confirmed happily.

"You both look radiant, and so in love," her mother said, obviously choking back tears, "I'm always going to regret not being there."

Aubrey was saddened by her mother's more sombre tone, "I really wish you had been there too, but hey, you can come in ten years when we renew our vows."

This perked her mother up a little bit, and the thought of declaring her love to Beca again ten years down the road made her own heart swell. She would tell Beca she loved her every day for the rest of their lives, but the occasional vow renewal wouldn't hurt either. In ten years she was confident she would have plenty more to say to Beca, and plenty about their life together to celebrate.

"Also, you can celebrate our next milestone with us."

Mrs. Posen looked at her daughter with curiosity, "and that will be?"

"Within the next year hopefully, Beca and I are going to be having a baby together."

Aubrey's mother threw her arms around her, and this time Aubrey leaned into the embrace, hugging her mother back, genuinely excited. She and Beca had already had a consultation with a doctor, and would be going back to actually get things started in the next few days. They talked a lot about it, and decided that they'd like to have two more kids. Aubrey could carry the first one, and Beca the next. Beca wanted to finish off her studies and get a steady job before taking on a pregnancy, and it made the most sense for Aubrey to get pregnant again now, as she was the older of the two. They were overjoyed at the possibility of Aubrey being pregnant in less than a month if all went well. Beca loved Charlie more than anything, but she was excited about getting to experience all of the baby years. They were also excited for Charlie to have a sibling, though they hadn't told her anything yet because they wanted things to be more concrete before they tried to explain. Telling her mother felt important though, the woman had missed out on her first pregnancy, but she could be there for this one and that thought was encouraging.

"Honey that's amazing, I'm so happy for you. I remember when you were 16 you told me your plan was to be married with 2 kids by the time you were 30, you're almost there."

Aubrey vividly remembered that conversation with her mother. They were eating breakfast one morning and Aubrey had just turned sixteen. Her mother asked her if she felt any older, and Aubrey launched into a whole discussion about her life plan because she was getting, "so old." She told her mother that her plan was to find a husband who was successful, get married and have at least two kids, all of this after they moved into their cute house in the suburbs and trained their medium sized, family appropriate dog. She never would have imagined she'd live in a two bedroom apartment in the city, have a five year old daughter out of wedlock, no dog and a wife, but her life was better than anything she had ever imagined.

"Just about, hopefully baby number two will be on their way before my 30th birthday. We're also planning on buying a house sometime in the near future. No dog though, Beca's not a fan."

She and her mother both chuckled, recalling the plans of teenage Aubrey.

* * *

The evening went a lot better than Aubrey could ever have guessed. Her mother took them out to a family friendly restaurant, and occupied Charlie by indulging in her conversation about dolls and her favourite books, colours and cartoons. Even Beca managed to hold a decent conversation with her mother in law, which brought Aubrey great relief. When they parted ways after dinner Aubrey's mother informed her that she was staying at a nearby hotel while she got things with her father sorted out, and that she'd love to visit again sometime soon. Aubrey found herself agreeing and told her to come around anytime, to see Charlie, and to see her. She had enjoyed catching up with her mother, and while she was still working through her feelings about everything, she was glad to have the woman back in her life.

It was past Charlie's bedtime when they finally made it home, the little girl having fallen asleep on the car ride back. Aubrey carried her into her bedroom and kissed her goodnight, watching as she settled into her own bed, still asleep.

When she made it back out to the living room Beca was already sitting on the couch, flipping through the channels. She was about to ask her about her thoughts on the day when there was another knock at the door. Odd considering it was after eight pm, and any friends wouldn't have bothered with the pleasantry.

She was shocked when she saw who was on the other side of the door.

"Aubrey Posen?" the woman asked.

"Uh, yeah…its, umm, Jenny, right?" she said, still startled. She stood, gaping at the pregnant woman in her door way, waiting for her to speak up.

"I just…I had some questions after that night at the fair."

"Oh," was all she could muster, "come in, I guess."


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I debated a little bit about how the conversation would go between Aubrey and Jenny, and what would happen afterwards. This chapter focuses largely on this new disruption to their lives, but there's some other development in it as well. Hopefully you'll enjoy this chapter. I have some other ideas planned going forward now, and I like where it's going so I hope you do too. As always feedback in the forms of reviews, comments and messages is greatly appreciated. I know Mitchsen isn't as popular a ship, but I'm glad people like this story. Much love.

Aubrey had questions too and she wasn't exactly sure what to ask first, why are you here or how did you find me; both were equally valid. Instead she led the woman silently into the living room, watching as Beca turned her head away from the television and towards the two of them. To say the look on her face was one of complete and utter confusion would be an understatement. What was a random pregnant woman she had never seen doing in their apartment at night. The brunette though sat quietly just waiting for Aubrey to explain; presumably she had an explanation.

"Beca, this is Jenny, she's uh, Daniel's wife," the blonde informed her own wife.

Beca's look turned from confusion to shock in a split second. What the hell was Daniel's wife doing at their place, and how the heck did she find them. Beca assumed that Aubrey wasn't giving out her personal details that night at the fair, especially considering her run in with Daniel hadn't been a very pleasant one. She continued to stare in silence, waiting for their guest to make the reasons for her sudden and unexpected visit known.

"I guess you're probably wondering why I'm here," Jenny spoke up finally, both women just nodded in response.

"I'm sorry for just showing up here like this, but I just had all these questions after that night at the fair. I mean it's not every day you walk over to find your husband having an incredibly cold and awkward conversation with another woman. You also said something as you were walking away that I didn't quite get. I just, I guess I wanted answers."

Aubrey was a little stunned, not really knowing what to say. There was so much she could say to this woman about Daniel, but something was holding her back. Sure he had abandoned her and doesn't give a damn about his own kid-her precious daughter but dumping all that information on his wife, it seemed unfair. She didn't know how she would react, or if the information could even ruin his marriage. The woman was pregnant too, which complicated matters further. If she did tell Jenny about Daniel, she was quite possibly destroying another child's chance at having a father in their life. She really didn't know if she could be the one to tell her. So the blonde sat, silently considering all of her options.

"How did you track me down?" Aubrey asked, deciding on avoidance and stalling as her first tactic.

Jenny was visibly a little taken aback by the response, but it was to be expected, she had just randomly barged in on a pair of strangers. "After that night I was talking to one of our friends about it, and I described you and he said he was pretty sure he knew who I was talking about. He went to high school with you, and he told me that he was pretty sure you and Daniel had hung out a bit, but it was a long time ago. Then I just looked you up in Atlanta. Again, I'm really sorry for just showing up."

Adam, Aubrey thought to herself. He had been with Daniel that night at the bar. She still remembered him from high school; he was the captain of the soccer team, tall with dark hair and eyes. Aubrey was never close friends with him, but they had hung out in group situations a number of times and knew each other well enough. She remembered saying hi to him, and talking to him a bit in the bar, catching up and reminiscing before his friend caught her eye. He was tall, with blonde hair and light eyes and a smile to die for. Adam introduced them and Aubrey was immediately taken by his charm. He was gorgeous and interesting, and if Aubrey was being honest she was lonely that night. She had just recently been dumped by her boyfriend, and Chloe's face was permanently attached to Jason's; so it was just Aubrey and this handsome and charming stranger. After consuming far too much alcohol Aubrey found herself in a rather compromising position in the bar's bathroom, but she didn't even care; not until three weeks later that is. It was a good thing Daniel had put his number into her phone before she had become incredibly inebriated otherwise she's not sure she would have even remembered his name.

A cough from Beca jerked Aubrey out of her memory, which was welcome because it wasn't really something she wanted to dwell on. As a rule Aubrey liked to keep the past in the past, and this rather abrupt trip down memory lane was somewhat unwelcome.

"Adam," Aubrey said simply, and Jenny nodded in confirmation.

"So, what is the deal with you and Daniel?" now the woman had gotten straight to the point.

Aubrey was silent once more, still not having decided what information to divulge. She could lie and tell her they just dated, or that they hooked up and he never called her or something, it was half true anyway. It's not like Daniel would refute her account, and if she said that Jenny may not even ask him about it. She felt weird about lying though, and really she had no reason to protect Daniel. Didn't he deserve whatever he had coming to him for keeping such important information from his wife in the first place? Aubrey considered this as she looked at the woman across from her.

It was Beca though who spoke up before either of them said anything else. "What Aubrey is being too nice to tell you right now, is that your husband is a deadbeat dad. You want to know how Daniel knows her? He knocked her up and left her to raise the kid on her own."

Both Aubrey and Jenny let out an audible gasp at the brunette's statement. Aubrey because she hadn't expected it and Jenny because Beca had just shocked her with this revelation. When she showed up at Aubrey's apartment, it was unlikely that she was expecting to be told that her husband was already a father.

"Her name is Charlotte, she's five and a half," Aubrey spoke up, answering the unspoken questions that were no doubt swirling through the other woman's mind.

Beca was certain she could see a few tears forming in the corner of the woman's eyes as she listened.

"Can I see a picture?" she sniffed.

Aubrey was too shocked to move, but Beca's reaction was quicker, pulling her wallet out of the pocket of her jeans. She removed the pictures of Charlie that she carried in it, handing them to the other woman. Beca had Charlotte's most recent school picture, a picture of the two of them together, a picture of Charlie with a monkey at the zoo and of course, a picture of Aubrey and Charlie; the tiny blonde was smiling brightly in all of them.

The woman flipped through the photographs, lingering on the one of Aubrey and Charlie a little longer than the others. She handed them back to Beca who put them gently back in her wallet.

"She's adorable," Jenny offered, obviously forcing a smile.

"Yes she is," Aubrey beamed.

"She looks like Daniel."

Beca held back a snort; admittedly she had never actually seen Daniel but Charlotte looked just like Aubrey. She had her mother's pale eyes, and the same beautiful smile. Beca didn't think she could look very much like her father at all.

Aubrey reaction was kinder though, "she's got his nose," she agreed.

"I just can't believe Daniel would do something like this. He's so excited about being a father, and he's done so much already to prepare for the baby. He told me when we got married that he always wanted a family; that he always wanted to be a dad."

Beca stopped herself from making a comment, but couldn't help the disgusted look at her face. She also couldn't help the wave of pain that washed over her when she saw the devastated look on Aubrey's face, no doubt a result of Jenny's revelation. Either Daniel was a liar, or he'd changed his mind since the night he told Aubrey he didn't want to be a father. Either way, it hurt, because it meant that either Daniel just didn't give a damn about her and Charlie, or that he had changed his mind about wanting to be a dad, but hadn't bothered to try and be one to Charlie first. What made this other kid so special that Daniel was willing to be there for them, and was excited about them in a way that he never was for Charlotte? The hurt must have been written all over Aubrey's face because Jenny spoke up again.

"Sorry, I really don't mean to rub it in. I honestly just don't understand. I…I should leave."

Neither woman stopped her as she grabbed her purse off the coffee table and made her way out of the apartment. They exchanged no more words and just watched as she went. There really wasn't anything left to say, Jenny had come there for answers and now she had gotten them. It was up to her what she did with that information and quite frankly Beca didn't care what she did. As far as she was concerned that woman's husband was obviously a piece of work, but that was for her to deal with, she certainly wasn't going to bother herself thinking about the man.

* * *

It was over three weeks before Aubrey thought about Jenny or Daniel again, and then it was only because she was forced to. Aubrey had just gotten home from work when the phone in her apartment began to ring. Since Beca wasn't yet home she figured it was probably her. She picked up the phone immediately, but was surprised when a male voice answered. Almost all of her male friends were her co-workers who wouldn't normally call her at home.

"Aubrey Posen speaking," she answered, curious about who was on the other end.

"Hi Aubrey, this is Daniel Evans. I got your number from the book."

"I take it you talked to your wife then," Aubrey couldn't help but scoff at the man.

"Yeah, I did. Do you think we could meet up, maybe for coffee and talk?"

"No," was Aubrey's immediate response.

"Hey, I just want to talk okay. Give me thirty minutes of your time," the man pleaded.

"Why should I? That's about thirty more minutes than you've ever given your daughter."

Daniel sighed audibly on the line, "I know, I don't deserve it but will you do it anyway?"

"Fine, but not this week, I'm busy. Meet me at the café across from Park Lane Elementary at noon next Thursday. Make time then because that's all I'm offering you," her tone was stern.

"Okay, I'll see you then."

Aubrey hung up immediately, she had already given him too much of her time. She was starting to wish she had never spoken to him at the fair, then she never would have found out about his wife and his wife never would have found her. Aubrey couldn't imagine what she must have said to him to get him to contact her. She really must have ripped him a new one because Daniel had never showed even a modicum of interest in talking to her about their daughter. She didn't think he all of the sudden just started caring about his kid, he never had before. The blonde decided not to dwell on her meeting with the man, instead wanting to focus on the happiness in her own life. She hadn't been lying when she told him she was busy this week. She and Beca had much more important plans than chatting with Charlotte's absent father over hot beverages.

* * *

They had planned for Aubrey to take a pregnancy test that night, and if it was positive they were going to get some confirming blood work done and start booking appointments. She was thrilled at the prospect and she definitely didn't need Daniel Evans of all people putting any kind of damper on that excitement. A few minutes after she hung up the phone she heard the familiar sound of keys scraping in the lock. Little Charlie ran immediately in her mother's direction, reaching her arms upward which Aubrey took as her cue to lift her daughter up for a hug.

"Hey baby girl, how was your afternoon with mama?" Aubrey asked as she received a kiss on the cheek from Beca.

"Fun, grandpa Sam didn't have any classes to teach today so after him and mama picked me up from school we went to the aquarium and saw the fishies."

"Wow that sounds like fun. Were there any orange fish?"

"Yep, lots. We should go back there some time so you can see them too."

"I would love that, maybe in a few weeks okay."

Charlie smiled, as Aubrey set her down on the couch, kissing her on the top of her head.

"How was your day babe?" Beca asked, as Aubrey walked towards her, meeting her in the kitchen.

"Oh same old, kids had a math test today so I have some grading to do but we can do you know what first, right after dinner."

Beca smiled at the thought, she did know exactly what Aubrey was talking about and she was just as excited. It had been a trying two weeks, just waiting to find out if their first attempt had been successful. Beca was all for instant gratification and this certainly wasn't it. Still though, she figured it would definitely be worth the wait.

* * *

The two minutes Beca spent lying on their bed waiting for the results seemed even longer than the last two weeks had been. Charlie was in the living room watching some educational show on TV, while Aubrey waited in bathroom for the test results. Words weren't even necessary when Aubrey finally walked into the bedroom. The exuberant smile on Aubrey's face was unmistakeable, and distinct, reserved only for the happiest of moments. Beca immediately launched herself off the bed and into her wife's waiting arms. Their lips melted together within seconds. Beca could feel tears on her face, but she wasn't sure if they were her own or Aubrey's as both women were crying tears of pure, unadulterated joy. Nothing would ever erase this moment in Beca's mind.

"I love you," Beca said, removing her lips from Aubrey's long enough to utter those three words.

"I love you too."

They decided it was best to wait a little while to tell Charlie, but it was hard not to share the news with the soon to be big sister. Beca and Aubrey both knew that when the time came their little one would make an excellent older sister. She did well, being an only child but Aubrey had always thought it would be nice for her to have a playmate at home. There were some things that only other children could understand, no matter how hard adults tried to use their imagination.

Beca and Aubrey made their way back into the living room, sitting on either side of their young daughter on the couch. They weren't yet ready to tell her the news, but they still couldn't resist the urge to give her celebratory hugs and kisses. Aubrey spent the rest of the evening grading math tests in the living room as Beca and Charlie played with blocks, and watched a movie. Their family was already pretty perfect, but their new addition would just make it that much more so.

* * *

As they lay in bed that night Aubrey was reluctant to bring up the subject of her conversation with Daniel. Beca was still high with excitement, and she didn't want to bring her down. She had to tell her though, she deserved to know.

"So, Daniel called today," Aubrey casually mentioned, throwing the statement right into the middle of their conversation about neutral baby nursery colours. It's not like there was a good time to bring it up.

"Really, why?"

Beca's reaction was one more born out of surprise than anything else, which Aubrey took as a good sign.

"He talked to Jenny I guess and asked if we could meet up for coffee and talk. I told him no at first, but then I just relented and told him noon next Thursday was fine."

"Where are you meeting him? I'll join you."

"It's fine Beca really, I can talk to him alone."

"I know you can, I just want to be there for you. I don't imagine it will be easy for you."

"Thanks," Aubrey said, kissing Beca's cheek. "We're meeting at the café across from the school."

"I'll be there."

Aubrey wrapped her arms around her wife, snuggling into her small frame. She was actually grateful that Beca would be joining them. She really had no desire to talk to the man in the first place, but at least if Beca was there she wouldn't be nearly as nervous. Since getting together with Beca the brunette had a very calming effect on her, in stark contrast to the way she made her feel all those years ago at Barden. Whenever Aubrey felt stressed or overwhelmed just one look from Beca could make her feel alright again. She knew that if anything got awkward or out of hand that afternoon that Beca would shut him down immediately. For now though she didn't want to think about Daniel Evans and whatever it was he was going to say. All she wanted to think about tonight was her beautiful wife, and the child that she had just found out was growing inside her. She brushed the brunette's hair behind her ear and kissed her again on the side of the head, finding that Beca had already fallen asleep. She watched the other woman's chest rise and fall, drifting off to sleep to the sound of her steady breaths.


	8. Chapter 8

Aubrey shifted awkwardly in her seat as she waited for Daniel to arrive. Beca could sense her wife's nerves taking over and immediately stuck out her tongue at her. Aubrey laughed and raised an eyebrow, and that was exactly the reaction the brunette had been hoping for. She wanted to put the other woman into a calmer state of mind and her action seemed to have done just that. Aubrey stuck her own tongue out at Beca uncharacteristically without a care in the world for what the other people in the café might think. It was always nice to see Aubrey smile or laugh, but especially so when the woman was stressed out and Beca knew she needed the relief. The brunette leaned over and kissed the other woman softly on the cheek, whispering a note of encouragement in her ear as she pulled away. It was as she looked over Aubrey's shoulder that Beca saw a tall blonde man walk through the door of the café.

The man noticed Aubrey immediately and quickly approached their table, confirming for Beca that this was indeed Daniel. He cleared his throat loudly signalling his arrival to Aubrey whose back was still to him.

"May I sit?" he asked hesitantly, as Aubrey whipped around to face him.

Beca observed the two cautiously, the tension in the air was palpable and she couldn't help but feel uncomfortable. It had to be weird for Aubrey to actually be seeing him and talking to him of her own accord. This is someone who she had only spent a few days with ever, and they had only talked for a total of maybe 5 minutes in the last 5 years. Their relationship, if you could even call it that was icy and distant at best. Beca could see the nerves and the stress creep back into her wife's expression as she sat there, staring at the man.

"Yeah…umm sit," Beca finally piped up, kicking out the table's third chair for him.

Daniel sat down slowly, breaking his eye contact with Aubrey only momentarily to give Beca a cursory glance. Neither of them spoke up to break the incredibly awkward silence. There's was so much to say, but nobody was saying it. Beca just eyed the man suspiciously, staring at each of his features momentarily in turn before moving on. If she looked hard enough she realized that Charlotte did actually sort of resemble him, though definitely not as much as she did her mother. She did have his nose like Aubrey pointed out and her ears were also a lot like his. She had never seen so much as a picture of him before, but now that she saw him in person she could see why Aubrey had been attracted to him. He was tall and handsome, if you were into the vaguely surfer dude look and his eyes drew you in. She also recalled Aubrey telling her how charming he had been, and how interesting he was to talk to, although you couldn't tell now from all the dead air. Daniel looked every bit like the cover of a copy of GQ magazine, and if anything Chloe had told Beca about Aubrey's past taste in men stuck in her mind it was her penchant for attractive douchebags.

* * *

"So, you called me and asked me to give you some time to talk, maybe you could start by talking?" Aubrey finally spoke up, her words more callous and cold than Beca had ever heard them, even at the height of her reign of terror over the Bellas.

Daniel was visibly taken aback by Aubrey's aggressive call to action, which made it all the more obvious that he hadn't spent much time around the woman.

"I just thought we should talk," Daniel said, more meekly than his appearance would suggest he ever spoke.

"You thought we should talk or your wife thought we should talk? She didn't really seem thrilled to learn that you have a kid you never told her about."

"I didn't think it matter…" Daniel stopped mid-sentence, but he had already said enough to earn an icy glare from Aubrey.

"Well that's obvious, it's never mattered to you that you're a father has it? It's not like you have ever given your daughter the time of day. I doubt if you've thought about her at all in the past five and a half years. Hell, we've been here for ten minutes and you haven't so much as bothered to ask about her. It's abundantly clear Daniel that Charlotte doesn't matter to you. If it was up to you, she wouldn't even exist," Aubrey spat the last words, and Beca could see the anger in her eyes.

"That's not fair…" Daniel started again but this time Aubrey cut him off before he could finish.

"What's not fair? The truth, because that's what it is. It's not like I'm telling you anything you don't already know. You found out that I was pregnant and you basically told me to get an abortion and walked away. No sense pretending that isn't the case, it's not like you have a reputation to salvage with me. Your wife may have thought you were a good guy, but I sure as hell don't."

"I'll accept your criticisms but will you please just hear me out?"

"Fine," the blonde crossed her arms over her chest. Beca reached out a hand and placed it on Aubrey's thigh, trying the only way she knew how to offer comfort in this situation. It wasn't like Beca had anything to add to the conversation. Anything she said would be just as harsh if not more so than Aubrey, and she could offer her wife words of comfort later, when this awkward conversation was finally over.

"I know I haven't been a good guy, and I know I lied to my wife about my past. I just thought it would be easier to just try and forget about the past. I didn't want to complicate things between her and I. When she got pregnant I felt bad, but I still just thought it would be easier if I left the past in the past, and moved on. Our life could be simple with us and our kid, and it wouldn't hurt anyone if they didn't know any better. Then Jenny talked to you, and she was angry, angry that I lied and so hurt that I have a child that I don't ever talk about or see. She said she couldn't have a family with a man who wouldn't take care of all of his children. I don't want to lose her you know, and she's right, I'm being irresponsible. So, I just wanted to meet with you and tell you that I'm ready to step up and take some responsibility for Charlotte."

Aubrey's face softened a little at the man's words, but not by much.

"That's good, I guess. I mean, she hasn't yet but I'm sure at some point she would have started to ask about her dad."

Daniel's face contorted awkwardly at Aubrey's words, and Beca could see that he had more to say.

"Aubrey," he started, in a tone that sounded far less than pleasant. "Don't get the wrong idea; I don't think I can be in her life. Like I said, it would just be too complicated. I've got a family that is going to require my time and energy. It's going to be hard enough to manage a new born, and our schedules and lives. I don't want to have to divide my time or make special arrangements. I don't want things to be complicated or messy. I want to support Charlotte financially and make sure she is taken care of. I have some funds set aside now; I can send you money every month, for whatever she needs. I can set up a college fund too, I've got the means. It was irresponsible of me to never offer you anything in terms of child support; it can't have been easy to raise her on your own. We can exchange information and get this all set up."

Aubrey just stared at Daniel incredulously, with Beca's expression matching her wife's.

"Are you serious right now? You set up a meeting with me so that you could just throw money at your problem and hope it goes away. Life isn't that easy Daniel, no matter how much you wish it was. You can't offer me money to take care of your daughter and then pretend that that makes you a good, responsible guy. You can't leave your kid without a father and think it's okay because you offered to pay for her to go to school one day. Keep your money Daniel, and you can tell your wife whatever it is you need to tell her to get her off your back, whatever it is that will make your life easier and keep it free of the dreaded complications of reality. Keep pretending you're not a father, because you're not."

* * *

Aubrey was up and out of her seat before the last words even left her lips. She ran towards the café's open door, barrelling into the people who had just walked in. Beca ran after her, only after giving the sorry excuse for a man sitting across from her a look that was more pitiful than anything else.

"Aubrey, hey, slow down," Beca shouted, catching up to her wife and grabbing her arm in an effort to stop her.

Her wife's touch stopped her in her tracks and she turned to face the shorter woman, venomous tears falling from her eyes. It cut Aubrey deeper than she would ever care to admit that her daughter's father couldn't muster any semblance of genuine feeling for her. She knew that she shouldn't give a damn and that Charlotte had plenty of people in her life that loved her, but there was something about his utter neglect for her child that broke her heart.

Daniel didn't bother to follow them out of the café, which actually relieved Beca; he had caused enough damage already this afternoon. She looked her wife in the eyes and leaned up to kiss her; her soft lips salty with tears. Beca took the other woman's hands in her own and looked into them a little bit longer.

"Aubrey, I know it must have sucked to hear that, and I know you wish that Charlotte had a better father but just forget about him. She doesn't need some prick that would only take care of her out of obligation in her life. She deserves people around her that love her and are there for her because they want to be, and she has that, in you."

"And you," Aubrey added, returning her wife's kiss.

"And me. You know how much I love that little girl."

"I do. I never thought I'd see the day Beca Mitchell would dress up and attend a weekly tea party." Aubrey's tears had now been replaced with a slight grin.

"Speaking of which, I have a tea scheduled this afternoon after the ridiculously adorable little host gets off school. I think I'm going to go back inside and get some cupcakes to bring her, meet me in the car okay?"

Aubrey smiled turning toward their vehicle as Beca went back inside the café.

* * *

When she entered the establishment she saw the tall blonde man still sitting in the corner, typing furiously on his phone. It wasn't her original intention but she couldn't help herself. She walked over to the table they had been sitting at minutes prior and stared at him, waiting for him to put his phone down. Eventually he looked up at her curiously, but refrained from speaking.

"I just wanted to make sure you knew that you are missing out on the opportunity to know an amazing kid. She is so sweet and beautiful and smart, she's compassionate and so much fun to be around. Her joy is absolutely infectious. When I'm having a bad day all it takes is a hug from Charlie and nothing else matters. You said she'd make your life difficult and complicated, but she only makes mine better. She certainly doesn't need you, but I assure you that you would be lucky to know her. Now, excuse me while I go buy some cupcakes for my little girl. Sure it won't make up for having a dead beat for a father, but Charlie loves cupcakes and I love her."

Beca turned on her heel and didn't even bother to look back at the man who sat in stunned silence. He had a vague idea about who Beca was from his conversation with his wife, but he certainly hadn't expected her to put him in his place like that. Beca paid for her box of cupcakes and never gave him another thought. She made her way back out to the car where Aubrey waited for her, smiling as she took a seat on the passenger's side.

"Did you get some of the chocolate ones with the pink icing?"

"Of course I did, they are Charlie's favourite."

"You remembered."

"How could I forget?"

Beca would never forget the first day they visited the café together. It was the day Charlie got the cast off of her arm, and Aubrey wanted to do something special for her to celebrate. Beca was still getting to know the little one and hadn't a clue what the girl might like. Aubrey suggested cupcakes and Charlotte smiled brightly, bouncing in her seat all the way to the café. She examined all of the choices carefully before pointing toward the rich chocolate cake, with the swirl of pink icing on top. It was chocolate and cherry and Charlie told Beca how much she loved that particular flavour. Beca decided on the same thing, telling Charlie that she also loves cherries. Ever since that day it had been Charlie's favourite treat and she loved that she and Beca shared a favourite thing.

* * *

A few weeks later and Aubrey had all but forgotten her disastrous meeting with Daniel. She had happier, more important things on her mind. She and Beca had decided to share the news of Aubrey's pregnancy with their family and friends. Beca thought they should wait the full three months, but Aubrey was far too excited to keep it to herself. It had killed her to keep it from Chloe for even the few weeks that she already had, so they decided on a compromise. They would tell only Chloe and their parents and then wait to tell everyone else until she was further along. Beca was okay with this, and quite frankly she was just as excited to tell her father as Aubrey was to tell Chloe. She had never been more elated about anything in her life, and she could agree with her wife that it was hard to keep that happiness quiet. They had invited Chloe, Jason and Avery, Aubrey's mother and Beca's father and step mother over for dinner, unbeknownst to all of them that the others would be there; they didn't want to arouse suspicion or ruin their surprise.

Before the evening's get together though they wanted to sit down with Charlotte and tell her the news. Charlie was going to be a big sister and they didn't want to blindside her with the news at dinner in case she was confused or had questions she wanted to ask. It was important to them that she understood and was comfortable with the news first and foremost.

"Hey Charlie, can you come into the living room?" Aubrey called out to her.

It took a minute or two but soon they could hear the familiar noise of little feet racing down the hallway. Charlie hopped up into Aubrey's lap, hugging her as she made herself comfortable. Aubrey wrapped her arms around the little girl, pressing a kiss to her forehead before bringing up the topic she had called her in to discuss in the first place.

"Can we talk to you about something?" Aubrey asked gently.

"Yes!"

Beca laughed, she hoped she would be as enthusiastic about their news after she heard it.

"Do you know how some of your friends have brothers and sisters?"

The little girl nodded.

"Well, how would you feel about a little brother or sister of your own?"

Charlotte considered the question and stared at her mothers before answering.

"That might be okay," she said, almost hesitantly, "why?"

"Well, in a few months there will be a new baby in the family, and you will be a big sister. Do you want to talk about it? You can ask any questions you have," Aubrey explained.

Charlotte at this point began staring off into space, twisting around in her mother's lap.

"Are you okay Charlie?" Beca asked her eventually, worried about her lack of response.

She stayed silent for a few more minutes, eventually climbing down from Aubrey's lap.

Then the child spoke up suddenly, "are you going to love the new baby more than me?" She sounded genuinely concerned and upset which worried both Aubrey and Beca.

Beca said nothing at first, just grabbing Charlie and pulling her onto her lap, kissing her cheek.

"Are you crazy?"

"No," she replied, almost offended.

"Well you must be if you could even think that. We love you so much, more than anything in the whole entire world, even pizza," Beca told her, emphasizing the last word with a smirk, which earned a small smile from the little girl.

"And we always will," Aubrey added, "we are just going to love your new little brother or sister too. Our family is going to be bigger, and have more love between us. Is that okay?"

"I guess that sounds pretty good."

"Yeah, it does doesn't it," Beca smiled at her.

"I hope my new brother or sister likes to play with blocks."

"Well, you can show them how much fun it is and they will probably love it. You'll get to show them all the things you love, that is all part of the fun of being a big sister," Aubrey explained.

"Cool."

Now that Charlie was on board, telling everyone else would be easy. Their friends would be happy for them, and Beca knew that her father would be over the moon about having another grandchild. Beca leaned back into the couch, flicking on the TV to kill some time as she waited for their dinner guests to arrive. She smiled when Charlie slid off of her lap, and down onto the soft cushion, snuggling in between Beca and Aubrey. Beca was sure in this moment that there wasn't a better way to spend a Saturday evening.

 


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Lots of happiness and fluff in this chapter, they have had enough drama for the moment. This chapter is starting to wrap their story up as the next chapter will be the last before the epilogue. As always any feedback in the form of reviews, comments and messages is greatly appreciated, and always helps. Enjoy and Happy Easter if you're into the celebrating of that kind of thing or if you just like bunnies and chocolate.

Chloe and Jason were the first to arrive, 11 month old Avery in tow. Aubrey smiled when saw the little boy; he was getting so big, more than just a few wisps of red hair growing on his little head now. The blonde reached her arms out to take him from Chloe, his mother relinquishing her hold on him and smiling at her friend. As she held him she couldn't help but think about how in less than 6 months she would be able to hold her own baby in her arms. It made the woman even more impatient for their parents to arrive, the longer she looked at Avery the more she longed to share the news of their new addition.

"I can't believe how big he's gotten," Aubrey finally voiced, placing a kiss on the small boy's cheek.

"Me neither. Hard to believe it's my baby's first birthday next month. Seems like just yesterday I told Jason we were going to be having him," Chloe said, clearly starting to get a little misty eyed.

Jason wrapped his arms around his wife's neck, "maybe it's time we started thinking about having another one then."

"Maybe," Chloe replied, turning her head slightly to kiss him on the jaw.

* * *

As they made their way into the apartment's kitchen, there was another knock on the door. Beca set Charlie down gently on her own chair momentarily so she could let their guests in. The brunette smiled awkwardly, stifling a laugh when she saw that both her parents and Aubrey's mother were at the door, looking slightly confused by each other's presence. They had never met previously but it looked to Beca like her father had introduced himself before she even made her way to the door. In an effort to be hospitable though, Beca decided it was best to formally introduce them again on their way into the apartment.

"Hi dad, umm this is Aubrey's mother, Mrs. Posen, this is my father Sam Mitchell and my step-mother Sheila."

"Very nice to meet you Mrs. Posen," Sam Mitchell offered a friendly greeting.

Beca knew her father was probably confused seeing as last he heard, Aubrey didn't speak to either of her parents but she figured there would be time for explanations later. Right now she just wanted to get everyone inside so the couple could share their happy news.

When they reached the kitchen Aubrey, Charlotte, Chloe, Jason and Avery were all already seated. Charlie was telling them all about her day, and about the book she was reading before everyone arrived. Chloe looked up, a strange look on her face directed at Beca. At this point everyone was probably wondering the same thing. It wasn't odd that Aubrey and Beca had invited them for dinner, but it was definitely out of the ordinary for all of them to be dining together.

* * *

Beca stood up in the spot next to her wife as their parents took seats around the table. Aubrey also stood up at this point, offering Beca one last encouraging smile before she launched into her only semi-prepared speech.

"So," Beca spoke up, clearing her throat, "we are just going to cut to the chase right now because quite frankly, neither of us can wait any longer to share this with you. We invited you all here tonight to share some happy news, and to celebrate. After getting married we started planning to have another child, and a few months ago we got confirmation that Aubrey is expecting. We are both really excited about the baby, and are thrilled to be able to share this with all of you."

Aubrey couldn't help but give her wife a big kiss on the lips as she finished their announcement. Now that everyone knew, it was impossible to hide her joy. Beca's dad was the first to get up from his spot at the table, almost running over to the two women. He embraced Beca in a hug first, and then his daughter in law.

"Congratulations girls, I am so happy for you and I really can't wait to have another grandchild." The man gave Charlie a hug and a kiss on her head on the way back to his seat, offering his congratulations to the soon to be big sister.

"Bree!" Chloe squealed, jumping up to give her best friend a hug. "This is awesome, I'm so happy for you two. Maybe it'll be a little girl and she and Avery can get married!"

"Hey, now," Jason started, looking at his wife, "I think we're getting a little ahead of ourselves there. Besides, he can marry their son if he wants too."

Chloe walked back over to where her husband sat with their young son, giving the man a kiss on the cheek. "Of course he can."

"Congratulations Beca, and Aubrey," Sheila said, smiling warmly.

When the excited chatter had settled a little, Aubrey's mother spoke up finally. "Aubrey, I know I haven't been there for you or for Charlie but I'm here now and I'm very excited for you, and I'm here for you, all of you now."

"Thanks mom," Aubrey said, smiling across the table at the woman. It still hurt that she hadn't been there to witness the early years in Charlie's life, but at least she would be there every step of way as she welcomed her second child.

"Thank you Mrs. Posen, that means a lot," Beca said genuinely.

"So, are you excited to be a big sister?" Chloe asked Charlie, who had been sitting quietly as all the adults spoke.

"Yes, I'm going to teach them lots of stuff," she informed everyone.

"That's great babe, I have an older sister and she taught me lots of stuff too. You're going to be an awesome big sister, I know it. Come here munchkin."

Charlie walked over to where Chloe sat and received a great big hug and kiss from her mother's friend. Chloe had always been good to Charlie, since the day she was born. She always told Aubrey how much spending time with Charlie and taking care of her made her want her own children. She had always wanted kids, but Charlie just made her want them that much more, and sooner. Even though she has her own young child to take care of now, she still always makes time for Charlie. Charlie climbed up into Chloe's lap and sat there content as the adults continued to chatter on about the news.

* * *

"I'll be right back," Beca whispered into her wife's ear.

She made her way back into their bedroom and pulled out her cell phone. Now that her father and Aubrey's mother knew, she wanted to fill her own mother in on the news. She hadn't seen her mother since the wedding, but now with her growing family she wanted to maybe, get a little bit closer to the woman again. It meant a lot to her that she had repaired her broken relationship with her father and that they were now so close and that he spent so much time with Charlotte, but she wanted her mom to be that close again too.

Beca waited as the phone rang, taking a deep breath before her mother finally answered.

"Hi mom, it's Beca. I'm actually just calling to share some good news with you. Aubrey and I are having a baby; you're going to be a grandmother."

Beca held the phone away from her ear as her mother screeched into it. She wouldn't be surprised if everyone in the kitchen could hear her reaction it was so loud. At least Beca knew she was excited about it.

"Thanks mom," Beca replied to her mother's congratulations. "Yeah, you should definitely come down and maybe spend some time with Charlotte before the new baby comes. I want her to know that everyone cares about her before then, she was a little worried at first when we told her. She'll be fine though, I think she's getting excited now about being a big sister now that everyone else seems excited about it. Okay…yeah…see you then. Love you, bye."

Beca hung up her phone and made her way back to the living room. Her conversation with her mother had gone even better than she had expected. Her mother had agreed to come and visit soon to see them and Charlie, and again when the baby was born so she could meet her new grandchild. It would be nice to have her mother around, and probably far less awkward than her short visit with her right after she got back from LA. Her mother had asked her what she planned to do with her life and when she was going to get it together. At the time she didn't have an answer, but now that she was newly married with a baby on the way and hopefully a new house in the not too distant future she did. Life was nothing like she expected it would be when she decided to move back from LA, but it was better than ever.

"Back," Beca stated obviously, kissing Aubrey's cheek. "I just called my mom to tell her, she sends her congratulations and she will be out here soon to visit."

"That's great Becs."

* * *

The rest of dinner was spent eating the lasagna Aubrey had prepared, and chatting excitedly about the new addition to their family. Chloe took bets on whether they would have a boy or a girl, with most of them predicting it would be a little boy. Aubrey was the only one who said she would have another girl. Other discussions revolved around the best neutral colours for baby clothes, Chloe's ideas for a baby shower, and what names they liked. Beca preferred to keep tight lipped about baby names, saying that any she liked she would talk about with Aubrey and that it would be a surprise for everyone else. Chloe said they needed a cute name they could shorten like Charlotte's. Charlie even told her mothers she liked the name Jessie for a sister, earning Beca a smirk from Aubrey and Blue for a brother, because it sounds cool. It was a few hours before everyone finally cleared out, all offering yet another round of congratulations for the couple.

Once Charlie had been put to bed, Beca collapsed onto their bed, falling into Aubrey's waiting arms.

"Hey, you look exhausted, was it all the baby talk?" Aubrey asked, looking slightly concerned.

"Definitely not, that I'm absolutely thrilled about," Beca said.

"Then what's up? You look so tired."

"I'm just a little burnt out is all, from classes and studying, then working and then everything here at home. I'm stretched a little thin is all, I'll be okay though."

"Beca are you sure? Is there anything I can do for you to make things easier? I know we are about to get even busier, so, if there is anything tell me."

"Well, I have been meaning to talk to you about something. I was thinking about giving up my studies, I just don't have the time for it anymore and it's just costing money and preventing me from bringing anymore home. Without the extra income we can't buy a house yet."

"Beca, that's fine. You'll finish your degree and we will work something out then. We are fine here for the time being, the baby will sleep in our room anyway."

"Aubrey no, there's not enough space here for a growing family. Charlie doesn't have a backyard to play in, or a street out front to ride her bike on. She doesn't have room to run around and play, and she doesn't have a lot of space. With two kids, it's going to get even more cramped. Besides, I do have a proposition."

"Oh, and what's that?"

"Well, you know Mr. Bennett that owns the record store right? He's actually been waiting to sell the place and retire, but he doesn't want to sell to anyone who will take it over and basically tear it down and turn it into something else. He wants the store to stay, and he needs someone who will take it over and run it. I thought maybe I could do that, I mean I've taken a lot of my business courses already and I already pretty much run the place. I could do it. Not to mention he also owns the abandoned unit next door, I was thinking I could develop that into another business and run them both. It won't be easy, but I'm up for the challenge and if I do it right, it could support us really well."

Aubrey just turned over and leaned in close to Beca's face, kissing her sweetly on the lips.

"You my love are brilliant and if that is what you want to do, you should do it. I'll support you no matter what."

"Really?"

"Really. I love you, and I know if you set your mind to it and work hard you'll do well. You've always been determined and good at achieving your goals."

"Thank you, I knew there was a reason I loved you so much."

Both women smiled at each other, it was crazy to them how they were kind of a perfect match given their history. They lay in bed, comfortable in one another's embrace just soaking in the moment.

"I actually talked to my father already about everything. He said he will be more than happy to help me get everything going. He's got some money he's been saving that he wants to give us; we can use some for a down payment on a home and the rest for some of the money to buy the shop. I've got a meeting at the bank on Monday regarding a loan for buying the properties too. Mr. Bennett is willing to give me a good deal since he knows I will take good care of the shop."

"That's amazing Beca. I guess this means we need to go house shopping then. I think we should stay in this neighbourhood though, it's close to the school and the shop, and our park."

"I think that's a great idea babe, this is a nice neighbourhood to raise kids in."

Beca couldn't believe she was saying it, but it was true. There were parks and schools, lots of kids around, lots of safe areas to play and it was close to all the amenities. Not to mention it was fairly close to her father's house which she knew was important to Charlie, but she also liked that. She would never admit it, but she missed her family and that kind of closeness an incredible amount when she was off in LA all alone. As Beca rolled over and drifted off to sleep she thought about how busy she was about to get, but also about how much she expected to enjoy it.

* * *

The next few months were indeed busy for Beca. First there were meetings to be had, loans to acquire, and contracts to be inked. When the place was finally hers, it was an overwhelming feeling. She had given college a fighting chance the second time around but still came to the conclusion that it just wasn't for her. She liked this, the hands on work, the learning by doing and learning from her mistakes, it worked for Beca. Mr. Bennett had taught her all of his tricks of the trade before retiring, and still came in every once and a while to check in on her. He told her that retirement was boring, and that he decided he still wanted to work occasionally for something to do. She was more than happy to hire him on as a very helpful employee.

With Aubrey's help Beca decided to develop the unit next door to her record store into a bakery. It sounded like an absurd idea to Beca at first, but after Aubrey mentioned that she knew some women who were looking to open a bakery she got on board. They would bake and Beca would help run the place. No one would buy anything she baked anyway.

Beca still found herself almost as busy as before, juggling her work with her family life but it was a balance she was happy to try and work out. In the evenings and on weekends they would go look at houses in the neighbourhood. Beca wasn't in love with anything she saw yet, but they hadn't seen too many places. She figured when they found the right place, when they found their home they would know. It was cheesy but she felt like the place would speak to her. On top of looking for houses with Aubrey, Beca also made sure to make time to attend her doctor's appointments with her. Aubrey told her that she understood that she was busy with her new businesses and that she didn't need to be at every single one, but Beca wanted to be there. Aubrey went through everything alone the first time she was pregnant and Beca didn't want her to have to experience that again. Besides, she wanted to know all the updates on their growing child, and wanted to see the ultrasounds and share in the pure joy of the experience.

There was one update though that Beca didn't want to know though. The day the doctor told them they could find out the sex of their baby, Beca declined and decided to step out of the room. It had been hard for Aubrey to keep a secret ever since but she had done a good job of not dropping any hints. She respected Beca's wish to be surprised the day their baby was born. She even hid the paint she bought for their nursery at Chloe's place, they didn't really have a room to paint quite yet and she didn't want to give anything away by accident. It would only be a few more short weeks anyway and Beca would get to hold their baby in her arms.

Before their little one's arrival though, they wanted to have a house purchased and ready to move into in the near future. They weren't sure they could get a closing date before the baby's birth, but as soon as possible would be ideal for the family. Charlotte had turned 6 and would be starting first grade, and they wanted to get settled in their first home. Lucky for the couple their real estate agent found a place near that fateful park. 4 bedrooms, a cute backyard with a garden, a nice kitchen and in a great area for kids, Beca liked the sound of it before she even saw it. It didn't take much convincing for them to put an offer in on the place after their viewing, and neither of them could contain their excitement when the real estate agent finally told them they got the house.

There they were, a month until their baby's due date and two months until they could move into their home. It would be hectic to try and get everything organized and take care of a newborn, but Beca was confident that they could do it together; in fact she looked forward to it. The next little while would be busy, but rewarding all the same.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Here it is the last official chapter for this story. Thank you to those who suggested that I continue this story. It started out as a simple one shot, then it was a two shot and then it just kind of spiralled into this multi-chapter story about Beca and Aubrey and their life together. I never could have predicted when I originally wrote it that it would turn into this, but I like where it ended up. I hope you have enjoyed it, and I hope you will like this last chapter. After this there will be one final part, an epilogue set at some point in the future. As always your feedback is really and truly greatly appreciated. Whether you post a review or comment, or just send me a message on Tumblr (shesamarshmallow) I love hearing from you. Your readership is appreciated, so thank you.

Beca didn't hear any crying, not a peep, at least not from the baby that had just entered the room. There were murmurs everywhere; doctors and nurses talking in what sounded like bizarre code to Beca, there wasn't a word she understood. There was a lot of beeping too, far too much for Beca's liking. There were a lot of noises in the room actually, but none of them were the cries of a child. She stood there in the sterile, mostly white room just watching as everyone raced around her. She had expected to hear crying immediately, as soon as her child was born, everyone talked about it; hearing their child's first cry. All that talk had conditioned her to fear the silence that she was now faced with.

She looked over at Aubrey almost hesitantly, afraid to see the look of fear in her own eyes reflected in her wife's. Beca took a deep breath, willing herself to ask the question on the tip of her tongue.

"Is our baby okay?"

She said it out loud and to everyone, but no one answered.

It was devastating really to be so ignored and to feel so helpless in a room filled with people. Beca just wanted answers, anything really and nothing more desperately than to hear her child cry. Aubrey's face was already wet, covered in sweat but when Beca looked back at the women she could now see the painfully visibly tracks from her tears. Beca was on the verge of breaking down herself, but she tried her best to hold it together, which was made all the more difficult by seeing her wife so distraught. The last fifteen hours were now a blur, and Beca's head was spinning but she tried to compose herself as best she could.

"They're going to be okay," Beca offered, squeezing her wife's hand.

She was all too aware that the silence could be a very bad sign and that she really had no idea if their baby was going to be okay or not. She wouldn't let that thought cross her mind though; she wouldn't let these painful seconds of not knowing get any worse.

"He," Aubrey said, choking back another wave of tears.

"He," Beca repeated instantaneously, breathless and overwhelmed. "We have a son?"

Aubrey nodded, forcing herself to smile. "Yes, Beca, we have a son."

Beca fell to the floor, head in her hands, unable to hold back the tears any longer. This piece of information sent her over the edge, slicing her heart like an arrow. Minutes seemed like hours as Beca wept on the floor, Aubrey unable to offer her wife any comfort, or find any solace for herself. Today was supposed to be happy, they were supposed to be happy right now, holding their baby and smiling. Instead they both felt more broken than ever, unable to see any semblance of that sought after happiness in their future.

Then they heard it, the most beautiful sound in the entire world; the loud, screeching cry of their baby boy. Beca instantly breathed a sigh of relief, standing back up and offering her hand to Aubrey.

"He's okay?" It was very much a question rather than a statement; the cry had been a good sign but she needed to hear a confirmation, they both did.

"He's okay," the doctor repeated.

* * *

He stopped speaking momentarily to allow the relief to wash over the two women at this news. He knew the last ten minutes had likely been beyond terrifying for them. He smiled as they regained their composure, and then finally launched into an explanation.

"Your son's airway was severely constricted, and all that gunk and fluid wasn't helping his situation any. Any longer in there and his brain would have been deprived of oxygen. He is stable though right now though and in good health otherwise. We will want to monitor him closely today, but you should be able to take him home tomorrow. I do apologize for scaring you there, but time is of the essence in these types of situations and we just wanted to focus all of our attention on making sure your son was okay."

Beca understood, and she was grateful that they had focused on her son. Not having any immediate answers had been awful, but knowing now that he was healthy completely washed away any ill will she may have had previously. Beca gave one final nod to the doctor before turning back around to face her wife. As Beca turned she saw the nurse finally placing a tightly wrapped blue bundle into her arms. When she moved in closer the sight before her took her breath away. She looked into Aubrey's eyes and saw nothing but unadulterated joy as Aubrey looked down at their son. As soon as Beca looked down, she couldn't tear her eyes away. He was so incredibly beautiful, she marvelled at the faint wisps of light brown hair on his tiny head, and the eyes that so matched his mother's. She stood in awe of his tiny mouth and nose; all of his beautiful little features. There was nothing in the world that could steal away her attention in this moment, nothing more beautiful and fascinating than watching her son stare up at her.

"He's so beautiful," Beca couldn't help but say, even if it was just as obvious to Aubrey as it was to her.

"Yes he is," Aubrey replied in a low whisper, "would you like to hold him now?"

Beca just nodded, unable to form a coherent string of words. Tears flowed down her cheeks again, though this time they were prompted by nothing less than pure happiness.

The brunette reached out her arms to take the baby gently from her wife's. Beca always thought it was ridiculous when people talked about how nice newborns smelt or how soft they were, but she quickly realized just how right they were. Beca brushed a finger gently down his cheek, feeling the soft skin in contact with her own. She also noticed how nice he smelled and laughed quietly to herself. Beca was sure that this was the best moment of her life. She thought nothing could top watching Aubrey walk down the aisle, but this did and she was sure Aubrey would agree. Beca placed a gentle kiss on her son's head before laying him back in Aubrey's arms. She would love to hold on to him forever, but she knew that Aubrey wanted to hold him again and it was almost as nice just to watch the two of them together. Her gorgeous wife and her equally beautiful son just sat there together peacefully. Beca took out her phone, unable to resist the urge to capture the moment in a photo.

Beca leaned in close again, brushing the messy blonde locks out of Aubrey's face and pressing a soft kiss to her forehead.

"I love you," she whispered in her wife's ear.

"I love you too. Thanks for holding my hand today; I hope I didn't hurt it. You're so tiny, I was slightly afraid at one point that I broke it, but you never let go."

"And I never will."

Aubrey turned slightly to catch Beca's lips in a kiss.

* * *

"So," Aubrey started, releasing Beca from their embrace. "Since you didn't want to find out the sex of the baby, we never really decided on a name for him. What are you thinking now? I don't really like any of the boy's names we discussed; they don't really suit him now that I see him."

"Agreed, he's not really a Josh or a Mitchell. What about Ryan Blue?"

"Ryan Blue?" Aubrey questioned.

"Well Ryan after Ryan Adams of course and Blue because, well Charlie said it would be a cool name for her brother, remember?"

"Of course Beca Mitchell wants to name her first born son after her favourite singer. Also, I do remember, and I love it. Ryan Blue Posen it is. Charlie will be thrilled when we tell her."

"Speaking of Charlie, I miss that little munchkin. I'm going to go make some calls, I'll tell Chloe to bring her over now."

"Sounds good," Aubrey agreed, her attention now falling back onto Ryan.

Beca called Chloe first and filled her in, giving her the okay to come and visit. After that she called her father's house, almost unable to contain her excitement as her father picked up the phone. She told him to get down there as soon as possible so that he could see his grandson. Beca was sure she heard him starting up the car before he even hung up the phone. Aubrey's mother and her own wouldn't be able to make it there today, but she called each of them in turn to tell them that they were grandmothers and that they would probably be home tomorrow morning. She resisted the urge to call everyone else in her address book, figuring they would have enough visitors today; anyone else could come by their place in the coming days. She did take a moment though to text the picture of Aubrey and Ryan to their former Bellas, figuring it was easier than calling them each individually to share the news.

 _Ryan Blue Posen, 7 pounds 4 oz._ Beca captioned the photo before hitting send.

When all her calls were made Beca slipped her phone back into her pocket, and made her way back into the room containing her wife and son. She was sure to put the phone onto vibrate, she figured she would get a few congratulatory calls from the Bellas but they could go to voice mail for now. She didn't want anything to take away from her time with her new son. There was something especially precious about these first few hours of his life and she didn't want to miss another second.

* * *

It was twenty minutes later when there was a knock on the door of their room and Beca turned to see the familiar, brightly smiling red head. Chloe had arrived with her now 18 month old son Avery in her arms. Following her into the room were Jason, and their excited 6 year old daughter Charlotte who ran past Chloe straight towards Beca.

"Hey Charlie," Beca greeted her, lifting her daughter up into her arms.

"I missed you guys."

"We missed you too, but we had to come here so mama could have the baby. Do you want to meet your little brother?"

"Yes," she squealed as Beca turned them both around so they were facing Aubrey's direction.

"Put her on the bed," Aubrey said, patting the space next to her that the small girl could sit in.

Beca set Charlie down gently on the bed and watched as she crawled toward her mother and the baby in her arms. She watched as Charlie eyed the tiny bundle curiously, her face contorting in thought as she looked.

"What's his name?" she asked finally, looking up at her mother.

"Ryan Blue," Aubrey answered her, watching as she considered the information.

Beca laughed as a wide smile formed on the little girl's lips.

"Blue, that was the name I picked out for him."

"Yes it was, and we thought it was a good name for him. Do you like it?"

"Yes."

Charlie sat at her mother's side, continuing to stare at the baby boy in her arms. Beca loved how curious and deep in thought she looked as she studied his tiny features.

It was a few minutes before Charlie spoke up again, breaking the comfortable silence in the room. "Can I give him a kiss?" she asked Beca.

"Yeah you can, just be very gentle okay."

At this instruction Charlie leaned in closer and placed a gentle kiss on her little brother's cheek.

"He's so soft," she remarked.

"Yeah, that's how babies are. You were soft too when you were born, really soft and little just Ryan," Aubrey informed her, smiling at her little girl.

"Wow," Charlie said as she continued to just admire her little brother.

* * *

Chloe and Jason had been hanging back in the corner of the room, giving the family their space but Beca could tell that Chloe was just dying to come over and see the baby.

"Meet Ryan Blue," Beca said as the couple and their own son walked over towards the bed.

"He is gorgeous," Chloe offered, "can I hold him?"

"Of course," Aubrey said, gently placing her son into her best friend's arms.

"He actually looks a lot like the baby pictures of Adam that I've seen," Chloe remarked as she rocked the newborn in her arms.

Adam was Aubrey's older brother, who she didn't get to see nearly as much as she would like with him living so far away. He moved across the country to California for work, and stayed there when he met his wife, and they decided to settle down. He visited every now and then but he was busy with his company, and his own growing family. The last time Aubrey saw him in person had been a few years prior, but when she spoke with him on the phone last week he promised to come down and meet his nephew. Beca grabbed Aubrey's phone off the table at her bedside and snapped another picture of their newborn.

"Let's see what he says about that," Beca said, typing out a quick message to Adam.  _Chloe says you and little Ryan are dead ringers, what do you think Uncle Adam?_ She attached the picture and hit send.

It was less than thirty seconds later and Aubrey's phone was ringing; she gestured for Beca to pass it to her and smiled when the caller ID confirmed that it was her brother. Aubrey answered with a friendly greeting and Beca watched as her smile grew wider as she accepted her brother's congratulations.

"He says they are totally twins and Ryan is obviously going to grow up to be super handsome like him," she repeated her brother's words to the room.

The rest of the day was spent taking calls from well-wishers, and watching as everyone welcomed little Ryan Blue to the world. Beca couldn't think of a better way to spend a day than right there, with her family and friends. Nothing would ever feel better than this, even if she was just running on coffee, adrenaline and emotion.

* * *

Just over a month later Beca sat on the couch in her living room. They had moved into their new house just days earlier and everything was still everywhere. It was a miracle they even had a couch in the living room as Beca hadn't been confident it would even fit through their front door. The brunette sat there cradling Ryan in the early hours of the morning. Sleep used to be her best friend, and she loved sleeping in but sleep was largely a distant memory for Beca at this point, and she found she doesn't even mind too much. It's exhausting, but she never thinks about how tired she is when she's looking down at her at her newborn son. These moments are precious to her, all the moments they get to spend alone just bonding are. Beca just sits on the couch, rocking him gently as she watches some infomercial on the television.

"Hey, you could have woken me up if he was fussy."

Aubrey was standing in the door way of their living room, watching as Beca cradled their son.

"It's fine, you looked like you were sleeping peacefully. We are bonding over this advertisement for knives," Beca teased.

"Well in that case, do you mind if I join?"

"Not at all," Beca smiled at her wife.

Aubrey sat down on the cushion next to Beca, resting her head on the other woman's shoulder. She poked Ryan's little nose gently and placed a kiss on his forehead. It wasn't long before both women could hear little footsteps on the stairs. They smiled as Charlie rounded the corner and poked her head into the living room.

"Good morning Charlie, how did you sleep?" Beca asked. They weren't sure at first how Charlie would adjust to the move having lived in the apartment with Aubrey since she was born, but she seemed to be taking it fine.

"Good morning. I had a good sleep in my new room. It's perfect now that it's pink."

Beca had stayed up all night on the first day they took possession of the house painting the bedrooms for her children. She painted the nursery with red and blue stripes using the paint Aubrey had purchased. Then she painted Charlotte's bedroom in her favourite shade of pink, before hanging up big letters that spelled out her name on the wall. They were moving in officially the next day and she wanted the rooms to be perfect for them when they arrived. Aubrey was both surprised and impressed by Beca's interior decorating prowess. She immediately noticed details like the adorable bears Beca had stuck on the walls in Ryan's room or the silver patterns meticulously painted in the corners of Charlotte's. Beca had turned their first house into the perfect home for their family.

"I'm glad you like it."

Charlotte climbed up into the open spot on Aubrey's lap, giving her little brother and her mothers each a kiss good morning. Beca passed her the remote control when she asked if she could change the channel to cartoons, it was Saturday morning after all. She flipped through the channels before settling on one of her and Beca's favourite shows. The family sat quietly just watching the television and enjoying each other's company. This was definitely a Saturday morning routine that Beca could get used to. It was just her and her three favourite people just sitting at home, together. As Aubrey put an arm around her Beca was certain that she was right where she wanted to be.


	11. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Epilogue time. Here is just a little something that takes place in the future, just to give you an idea of where they end up. It is a tad on the sugary side so I apologize in advance for any cavities this may cause. Thank you again to everyone who has been following and reading this story. It was nice to write a one-shot for a lesser shipped pairing and to have so much interest in having it developed into a lengthier story. As always your feedback is greatly appreciated, I always love reading your comments, reviews and messages on Tumblr (shesamarshmallow). It's been fun, and I hope you will enjoy this ending.

**6 Years Later**

"Mama," Beca heard a little voice squeal as she came down the stairs.

"Hey Poppy," she greeted her little girl, "where are your brother and sisters?"

"Backyard," was her one word response.

Beca scooped up her 3 year old daughter in her arms and the pair made their way out to the backyard. It was Aubrey's birthday and the family was having a BBQ to celebrate. When Beca arrived in the yard she noticed that Chloe and Jason were already there with their kids. After Avery they had Spencer, Elijah, Chase and then Gabriel, 5 boys in row. She watched as all the kids played together, Chloe and Jason's sons along with her own kids Charlotte, Ryan and her 3 year old identical twins Poppy and Bella. They were playing soccer, or rather the older kids were playing and the littlest ones were just running around on the lawn. Beca took a seat next to her wife, the birthday girl and gave the woman a peck on the cheek.

"Beca guess what?" Chloe chirped excitedly.

"What?"

"I was just telling Aubrey, the 6th time's the charm."

"Aww, really? Congratulations, I'm so happy for you guys."

"Don't get me wrong," Chloe started, "I love my boys but I'm so excited to finally have a little girl."

"Oh we know," Aubrey teased, "you've only been hoping for a daughter since Spencer was born."

"I'd say Gabriel here is lucky she didn't just say screw it and dress him in little pink dresses," Jason said with a smirk. The one year old smiled contently in his father's lap, oblivious to the goings on around him.

"Hey, my boys are so handsome; they can pull off any colour."

"I'm just amazed you're expecting your 6th child already. It seems like just yesterday I came back to Atlanta and you were expecting Avery."

"Time just flies, Charlotte will be 12 this year, and the twins are already 3. I really can't believe how fast they're all growing up," Aubrey said, her eyes beginning to get a little misty.

"Don't even think about it," Beca warned gently, "we already have 1 more than we planned on. Not that I'm complaining, even if I can't tell them apart half the time."

Their identical twins, Poppy and Bella had been an unexpected but welcome surprise. Beca had planned on carrying their 3rd and final child a few years ago, but they were informed at one of her early ultrasounds that there were in fact two babies growing inside of her. Beca was glad she already had experience caring for Ryan as a newborn; she wasn't sure how she would have dealt with two babies at once if it hadn't been for him. She found though that two wasn't that much more difficult than one, especially since she and Aubrey were lucky enough to have Charlotte, who turned out to be a very helpful big sister.

"You don't want another baby around the house?" Aubrey pouted.

Beca shook her head, "I just want to enjoy the kids we already have; they're pretty awesome."

"That's true," Aubrey leaned over and kissed Beca square on the lips.

A few moments later Bella ran over towards the adults and climbed up into Beca's lap, whispering in her ear.

"Come with me, we can do that now," Beca said laughing, taking the little girl's hand in her own.

When Beca returned with Bella she was carrying a very lopsided looking cake, covered in rainbow sprinkles and what appeared to be gummy bears and skittles. Aubrey smiled wide when she saw the birthday cake her family had made for her. She figured Beca baked it and let them decorate it while she was out shopping with Chloe this morning. The children gathered round the table and joined Chloe and Beca in singing happy birthday to Aubrey. Aubrey had never been the biggest fan of birthdays, but Beca and their children always tried to make them special for her.

"Happy Birthday mom," Charlotte hugged her mother tight.

"Yeah, happy birthday mom," Ryan added, also giving his mother a hug.

"We helped to decorate the cake," Poppy informed her, Bella nodding along with her twin.

"I can see that, it's beautiful sweetheart. You four are the most awesome kids ever, I love you."

"You're the most awesome mom ever," Ryan said, giving his mom another hug, "and mama."

"Yeah, you guys are lucky, you have two awesome moms," Chloe pointed out, smiling at her two friends.

Beca began cutting slices of cake and passing them around the table. She laughed when she saw Bella picking the gummy bears off of her piece and biting their heads off, while Ryan was flinging his candy at Charlie's face. Watching her children interact sometimes was absolutely hilarious. When Charlotte had enough of the gummy bears hitting her she grabbed Ryan and started a tickle fight. She watched the pair until her attention was torn away by the phone ringing in her pocket.

"Hello…oh hey dad, you want to talk to Aubrey, okay…"

Beca passed the phone to her wife. When Aubrey hung up after a few minutes, Beca smiled a questioning smile.

"What did he want?" she inquired.

"To wish his favourite daughter in law a happy birthday of course," Aubrey smirked. "He said he's sorry he can't be here and that he'd rather be here with us than at the dumb conference."

"You're his only daughter in law," Beca teased.

Aubrey stuck out her tongue, "anyway, he sends his love."

Beca walked around the table and whispered in each of her children's ears in turn, causing them all to surround their mother in a group hug. When they pulled away Beca could see that Aubrey's eyes were a little bit watery.

"Mama says that hug was from Grandpa Sam," Poppy announced.

"Awww, thank you babies, and thank you softie," Aubrey said, coyly gesturing towards Beca.

Beca took a seat on Aubrey's lap, embracing her, their lips melting together. "I love you."

"Present time!" Chloe announced, once Beca and Aubrey had come up for air.

Aubrey opened her gifts one by one. Each of her children had made her a handmade gift, as per house rules. Charlotte gave her a scrapbook filled with pictures, Ryan a rock that he painted with everyone's initials, and Poppy and Bella picked her flowers. Beca knew it was inevitable that her wife would be in tears after opening her kid's gifts and she had tissues at the ready. Beca's gift to Aubrey was a new mix, as always but she also gave her an engraved silver bracelet, going against the rules.

"Sorry, I couldn't help it."

"I guess I can't be too mad at my wife for getting me a bracelet that says 'forever & always' can I now?"

"No you can't," Beca pecked her wife on the lips.

"Thank you."

"We made you something too," Chloe's son Spencer informed the blonde.

Elijah walked over to the woman and handed her a pile of drawings and finger paintings. "We signed them."

"They are awesome guys; I will put these on the fridge. Thank you so much." Aubrey scooped Elijah up and gave the little boy a hug. Next to own her own children Chloe's sons were definitely her favourite kids.

"Well, I'm taking you for a shopping spree but Jason and I got you a card," Chloe said, handing Aubrey an envelope with an adorable card with a kitten on the front in it.

"I'm just glad it doesn't say anything about me being over the hill. Thank you."

"Just wait until you're 40 babe," Beca teased, winking at her wife.

The remainder of the afternoon was spent reminiscing and watching the kids play party games. As the evening drew closer Jason started bragging about his barbequing chops, and he and Beca decided to have a grill off. Beca was confident she could make better burgers than the hot-shot but Jason won the "blind" taste test. Beca said it was unfair because he had more kids to vote for his food. She knew she was done for though when even Aubrey took Jason's side.

"I'd still rather kiss you," Aubrey said, taking a seat on Beca's lap.

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Beca pouted.

"Yes," the blonde quipped, pressing a kiss to Beca's lips.

Beca's lips curled into a smile as her wife pulled away. "I suppose it does," she relented.

"I thought so."

Beca leaned back in her chair, content to just sit and enjoy the fading sunlight with Aubrey in her arms. The brunette rested her head in the crook of the other woman's neck, just watching the children play in the yard. It wasn't long before the pair were approached by one of their tiny twin daughters half smiling and half yawning as she lifted her arms. Aubrey scooped Bella up in her arms and watched as she settled herself in her lap. Aubrey and Beca both watched as she snuggled into her mother and closed her eyes.

"Looks like someone is tired," Chloe said, watching as the little one fell asleep in her mother's embrace.

"We were up early, I guess it has been kind of a long day," Beca explained.

"I'm just going to go put her down in her room," Aubrey whispered, gently getting up and taking Bella in her arms. Moments later she disappeared into the house with the sleeping toddler on her shoulder.

"I guess we should head out too, it's only a matter of time before the boys start getting tired," Jason suggested.

"Well thanks for coming," Beca said to her friends, "we always love having you here, but I know Aubrey was really glad you could be here to celebrate her birthday tonight."

"You know I'd never miss her birthday. I'm just going to run into the house to say bye to Bree, I'll be right back Jay," Chloe said.

"No problem, I'll round up the boys."

Beca followed Jason to where the kids were playing and picked up her other, clearly sleepy little one. The brunette pressed a kiss to her forehead as she laid her head down on her mother's shoulder. Once the ladies said their final goodbyes to their friends and the kids were down they both sat down on the couch, Aubrey resting her head gently on Beca's shoulder.

"How was your birthday love?" Beca asked, brushing the wind swept hair out of the other woman's eyes.

"Perfect, because I got to spend the day with so many people I love."

"Good, you deserve a special day."

"You know Beca; you're such a softie sometimes."

"You love it."

"I do, and I have one more request from my softie since you're in such a mood."

"What's that?"

"I just want to cuddle with you."

Beca smiled, "I think that can be arranged."

Beca wrapped her arms around the blonde, kissing her cheek; she was right where she always wanted to be.


End file.
